We've mentioned before that humans
are the single biggest threat to coral reefs. Although divers aren’t usually singled out for their
destructiveness, general human activity – such as cyanide fishing, pollution, and overfishing – is the
leading cause of reef death. However, some researchers believe the “growing popularity of scuba diving and
snorkeling has put additional pressure on these already fragile coral systems.” In fact, the United Nations Environment Program asserts that reefs degrade quickly
after a certain number of divers visit a site. As such, can you guess how many divers UNEP recommends visit a dive site
annually? The answer – which may or may not surprise you – is below the jump. Put your guess in the
comments.According to (this PDF version of) Tourism Impacts on Coral Reefs, “as a rule of thumb it is recommended that the level of 5,000 to 6,000 dives per sites per year should not be exceeded.” That’s fewer than 17 divers per day, which seems infinitesimally small, especially for countries that depend on tourism for their tax base and primary source of employment. What do you think about that?
1. 4000?
Posted at 8:18PM on Jan 9th 2006 by Calvin Tang