I don't think there's a diver in the world who has NEVER touched a piece of coral. Maybe it was on accident when navigating through a swim-through, or maybe it was while trying to get that "perfect shot." Of course, we all know we're not supposed to touch coral, but sometimes it happens. And, after all, it's not really that bad, right?
Well, according to Stephan at Beautiful Oceans, it IS that bad. In a recent podcast, Stephan explains what happens when divers touch a coral reef and what may happen to coral colonies when we do (worst case scenario: coral colony eradication). Although some coral is hardier than others, Stephan makes an obvious, practical suggestion: don't touch any of it. Give the short podcast a listen, and maybe on your next dive, you'll try harder to avoid the coral.
