"Dredging of Miami Port Badly Damaged Coral Reef, Study Finds"

"MIAMI — The large-scale dredging of Miami’s port to accommodate the newest generation of freighters, an undertaking that prompted a long-running battle with environmentalists, caused widespread damage to a portion of the area’s fragile and already distressed coral reef, according to a new report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The report, based on a December survey undertaken by scientists for the agency’s National Marine Fisheries Service, found that as much as 81 percent of the reef near the dredging site was buried in sediment, and an Army Corps of Engineers contractor report from August shows up to 93 percent partial coral death because of sediment, despite a plan by the Corps to minimize the damage.

The damage is particularly alarming because the world is rapidly losing its reefs, partly because of global warming, experts say."

Lizette Alvarez reports for the New York Times May 1, 2016.