Turf Wars: Sand And Corals Don't Mix

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008095708.htm --- When reef fish get a mouthful of sand, coral reefs can drown.

That's the latest startling evidence to emerge from research into the likely fate of reefs under climate change and rising sea levels, at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (CoECRS).

 "We've known for a while that having a lot of sediment in the water is bad for corals and can smother them.  What we didn't realize is how permanent this state of affairs can become, to the point where it may prevent the corals ever re-establishing," says Professor David Bellwood of CoECRS and James Cook University.