I watched a documentary about how some reefs, such as around Cuba, are getting overgrown with algae because all the big fish have been caught for human consumption and every year the fish in the marketplace are getting smaller. So overfishing is contributing to the amount of algae taking over some areas. That and I'm sure the spread of the lionfish into these non-native waters doesn't help since these voracious feeders remove a huge percentage of juvenile fish from having a chance to grow up and repopulate the reefs. Its sad really.
One of my bucket list items is to go snorkeling in a coral reef that is still relatively natural and not so altered by human activity. Better do this sooner rather than later I guess.
Friends who have been snorkeling in the Caribbean for decades tell me that the changes they have seen over time have been nothing less than heartbreaking. From massive swathes of pristine reefs populated by dozens of species of corals and tens of thousands of fish, to swimming through areas that look very much like what your photograph depicts (lots of algae, a handful of hardy corals and almost no fish.
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