BEACHES VS. REEFS

In south Florida, sand is why the tourists come. For years, hotel owners along Miami Beach appealed for federal help in keeping the beaches from eroding . A six million dollar beach nourishment plan is now underway in south Florida after 2 years of legal wrangling. But now, how not to repeat damage to the fragile coral reefs that lie next to the source of new sand. Five of the 17 projects that rebuilt beaches in south Florida since the 70’s damaged or destroyed coral reefs. New monitoring efforts appear to be paying off, but that isn’t making the projects any less controversial. Alexis Muellner reports from Miami.