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Sediment is bad news for coral reefs. In Australia, large increases in sedimentation were a by-product of introducing intensive agricultural practices, and that may also apply to other parts of the world.

Modern agriculture has transformed Earth’s surface, and one consequence has been the increase in continental material that is eroded and transported to the oceans. There, it poses particular hazards to reef-building corals, by decreasing the availability of light and interfering with feeding.