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Pollution can further stress coral reefs
Run-off from drains and other pollution can stress coral reefs more and make recovery from coral bleaching difficult.
Dirty, polluted water from drains can be a death sentence for coral reefs already stressed and bleached by warm sea temperatures. According to marine biologists at the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA), Tobago’s coral reefs are known for their resilience despite widespread bleaching. However, this resilience is increasingly compromised by pollution. Executive Director of the Environmental Institute of Charlotteville (ERIC), Aljoscha Wothke, warns that Tobago has already lost a significant portion of its reefs to pollution—and the situation will worsen unless people change their habits.
