The Coast Guard has recently ban any anchoring of ships in an area where the coral has been damaged by several years of ships that run aground or otherwise run off course.
Cargo ships waiting for berths in Fort Lauderdale, Florida now have to anchor farther from shore to protect coral reefs repeatedly damaged by wayward vessels.
Since 1994, about a dozen ships have run aground or dragged anchors through the reefs, killing coral and sponges in the fragile ecosystem.
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