This hits close to home. I am the son of a marine biologist, and was I was a marine biologist myself. I grew up studying coral reef ecosystems is some of the most beautiful pristine locations in the Caribbean.

40ish years later, even in the most celebrated and remote areas of the Caribbean, nothing is the same.

To someone who has been diving for 10-20 years, sure, it looks like there are tons of fish and coral. But I can remember the reefs of my childhood. Compared to 40 years ago, everything is dead, empty, and covered in algae and fire coral.

People have no idea what we lost.

I can remember huge forests of Elkhorn coral, coming up in 40-60 feet of water, growing in colonies the size of city blocks. Schools of snapper that could fill boat after boat, and still look like giant underwater tornados. Black Grouper the size of dingys were a common sight, and pre-spearfishing would swim up to you unafraid. You can find some examples now, but what is considered exceptional today was the norm in years past. The density of life was astounding, and we'll never see it again in my lifetime.

I've heard the red sea is the same, faded glory. I've also heard that some more remote areas of the great barrier reef and parts of the south Pacific may be healthy. I've never been, so I can't comment.

I wonder what else we have lost.