Overharvests in Florida? Please Consider Some Truths

The Rhyne et al paper that spawned the New York Times article is a publication that we take exception to, as it is full of hyperbole and inaccurate claims that really don’t have any place in peer-reviewed publication. The title itself would lead one to believe our fishery is on the precipice, due largely to activities of marine life fishermen and the curio trade. The real culprit to the demise of the coral reef that we knew in our youth is nutrient loading and diminished water quality due to lack of appropriate wastewater treatment and many other of man’s destructive activities that take place in the name of development.