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what?Sanya's Coral Reefs - Part 2
Sadly, the reefs are described by ICRAN as "mostly destroyed, but some recovering and good by Chinese standards".
Pollution from the Sanya River is polluting Sanya Bay, and the water quality is deteriorating. The biggest problem is that corals need nutrient-poor water and the high levels of nutrients in sewage and agricultural run-off add significant nutrients: there has been substantial bleaching of coral as a result.
There is one specific project worth mentioning: the attempt to recover 1000 square metres of the reef at Xidao, using artificial reefs.
So should you contribute to the tourism that is slowly killing the reefs? Difficult question: the tour vessels and dive trips provide jobs for local people, so reducing the fishing and collecting of coral. But then are these companies acively contributing to repairing the amage they have largely caused?
I decided not to go out and swim off the reefs - just a personal choice.
