Raw sewage killing coral reefs around Virgin Islands

[struggle4progress]

CHARLOTTE AMALIE, U.S. Virgin Islands (28 May 2005) -- Raw sewage discharged into the ocean kills coral reefs at an alarming rate, a new U.S. Virgin Islands study says.

Coral reefs are far more likely to develop disease and die when exposed to bacteria and nutrients in raw sewage than coral in unpolluted areas, according to a study published last month in the Puerto Rico-based Caribbean Journal of Science.

"It appears to be a major factor contributing to coral disease," biologist Longin T. Kaczmarsky said Tuesday. He co-authored the study with scientists from Long Island University in New York and the University of Puerto Rico.

The study compared the health of coral reefs to wastewater release around St. Croix, the largest island in the U.S. Caribbean territory of 110,000 residents. <snip>

http://www.cdnn.info/news/eco/e050528.html

[cornermouse]

1. Probably not very healthy for swimmers either.

But I'm sure its cheaper than processing it before returning it to the ocean.

[Mugweed]

2. So what else is new?

http://www.reefrelief.org/scientificstudies/article.asp?file=20041210article.html

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/oceans-04b.html

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2004-02/hboi-nep020904.php

Many of my friends have been reporting on this for decades. Deep well injection as a wastewater disposal method, sewage outflow to open water....

Yup.

Talk to Dr. Pete. @ Harbor Branch. He'll tell you all about it.