Increasing acidity in the waters off the Caribbean coast – an effect of global warming – is hurting the coral reefs of the Islas de la Bahía, report officials from the Honduran Secretariat of Environment. The higher acidity of the water contributes to the destruction of organisms including “corals, snails, seahorses and sea stars,” Mirza Castro, of the Secretariat's national climate change program, told Tierramérica.

The destruction is also linked to the damage caused by petroleum residues and inadequate treatment of sewage, said Castro, who is calling for more government involvement.

The coral reefs of the Islas de la Bahía are considered second only to Australia's in terms of beauty.