Divers Overestimate Their Skills and beat up reefs

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Research at the University of Sydney has found that scuba tourism -- widely promoted as a sustainable way to experience coral reefs -- is causing frequent and often hidden damage to fragile marine ecosystems.

The study, led by Dr. Bing Lin from the University of Sydney's School of Geosciences, analyzed the behavior of more than 700 scuba divers in the Philippines and Indonesia.

From more than 300 hours of underwater observation, the researchers recorded 4,981 reef contacts by 411 divers. Around 41 percent of these contacts caused observable coral damage, from breakage to the stirring of sediment that can smother reef life....

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