With coral-rich Churna Island now an MPA, Pakistan takes baby steps on ocean protection

With coral-rich Churna Island now an MPA, Pakistan takes baby steps on ocean protection

KARACHI — From the sands of Manjhaar Beach on the far outskirts of Karachi, Pakistan, an island is just visible 10 kilometers, about 6 miles, offshore. Mist rising from the Arabian Sea often shrouds Churna Island from the view of sailors and tourists heading toward it for fishing or diving. Below the waves, the island harbors one of Pakistan’s biodiversity hotspots: a diverse coral community, including one of the country’s only documented reefs.…