Coral Reef Tourism Protects Its Pot Of Gold

The destruction of nature's beautiful underwater kingdoms by coastal development, shore runoff and fishing techniques has seen the tourism industry increase conservation efforts. Green sea turtles, cascades of glittering reef fish, blooming coral pillars -- countless travelers have come nose to nose with a thriving undersea universe while on vacation. But increasingly, divers and snorkelers are swimming over bleached hunks of coral devastated by shore runoff or overfishing. From the South Pacific to the Caribbean, coral reefs -- which are among the most delicate of marine ecosystems -- are bearing the brunt of climate change and other human-driven activities -- including coastal development, deforestation and unrestricted tourism...