14-05-2025
‘Irreplaceable' Cornish coral beds could be killed by sewage
Irreplaceable 4,000-year-old coral beds off the Cornish coast could be killed after being smothered in algae caused by sewage pollution and run-off from farms.
Marine scientists and conservationists were left shocked by the state of the ancient beds of rare pink calcified seaweeds, known as maerl, which are crucial to supporting fragile underwater ecosystems and act as a nursery for commercial fish and shellfish.
The rose pink of a maerl bed is a very rare sight in English waters, with few thought to exist outside Cornwall, where it particularly thrives in clear waters, estuaries and tide-swept bays.
The maerl beds of the Fal and Helford estuaries in Cornwall were designated as a Marine Protected Area in 2005 but a recent dive revealed a 'worrying deterioration'
