CHAPEL HILL, N.C., July 25 (UPI) -- New research proves more remote coral reefs aren't any healthier than those situated in coastal regions near large human populations.
"We often mythologize isolated coral reefs as pristine and safe from harm," lead researcher John Bruno, a professor of marine biology at the University of North Carolina, said in a news release. "In fact, coral loss on some of our isolated reefs is just as dramatic as coral decline on reefs adjacent to more densely populated islands."