Keys residents hope the project is successful even if many never agreed with the ban in the first place and some distrust the government's population estimate. The conchs are out there. There's no question. Early in the year the Keys suffered a drought and later they were pounded by Hurricane Georges and then Tropical Storm Mitch, which could have disrupted their breeding. But regardless of the overall count, he said, it is clear that the conch population is in deep trouble in shallow waters near shore.
Scientists know that is true by picking up conch and looking at their reproductive organs.
When you look at the near-shore conch gonads, they're clearly different. Waters around the Keys used to be gin clear but now they are emerald green. The City of Key West has a sewer system and treatment plant but homes up and down the Keys often have leaky cesspools, and Glazer said poor water quality could turn out to be the conch's biggest enemy. Copyright 1999 Reuters. All rights reserved.