The reef of Tela Bay should be dead if anything we know about coral reefs is true. The harms it faces are manifold, from warm waters to boat traffic to agricultural runoff and murky water.
Not only can the Tela reef survive these hazards, it thrives—as no other reef in the Caribbean thrives. On any given day, live coral cover in Tela is around 65%, almost four times more than the average for the Caribbean (18%).
Scientists are now working hard and fast to try and solve the mystery of why the Tela Reef seems partially invincible, and whether its secret sauce can be applied to other reefs at peril in the Gulf of Mexico.
Leave a reply