Reef Resource Page

Paul Blanchon P.Blanchon at UAlberta.CA
Mon Apr 8 14:34:42 EDT 1996


Dear list members, 

Just an introductory note to inform you of a new World Wide Web site that I 
hope will be of interest and utility. The _ 'Reef Resource Page' _ is an 
attempt to provide an up-to-date and integrated review of the biology, 
ecology, and geology of modern reef systems for scientists, policy makers, 
and students alike. Such integrated reviews are critical for a full 
understanding of the dynamics of reef systems and therefore a prerequisite 
for any attempt to prognose reef response to environmental change -- be it 
natural or anthropogenic. Never has the need for such a review been as 
pressing as it is now, with reefs worldwide beginning to show signs of 
stress. Clearly, we need to know if these signs, such as bleaching, urchin 
die-offs, or starfish infestations, are natural processes with long 
recurrence intervals or unprecedented early warning signals of reef-system 
collapse. Only an integrated picture of reef systems will allow us to make 
that assessment. 

Any endeavor of this sort clearly requires the input of as many reef 
scientists as possible. So it is my hope that, by using the Web and all its 
multimedia capabilities, I can attract your views, insight, and 
participation. I must state at the outset that, I have no special 
qualification to undertake this task, only a desire to integrate our 
present knowledge and to view the entire horizon. Over the next few months 
I will post preliminary reviews, starting with geology -- the field with 
which I have most expertise -- and encourage you to send me recently 
published work on all reef topics for inclusion. I will post summaries and 
archives of correspondence on a future 'Feedback' section and may start a 
bibliography of recent in-press papers with abstracts (depending upon the 
response). 

In the mean time, before the reef reviews are posted, I have provided a 
survey and critique of many reef sites on the Web in order to save you time 
browsing and to keep you abreast of developments. Again, I would welcome 
your views on these sites, as well as notification of sites I have 
misconstrued or missed. The more input the better the resource. The site 
address is: 

http://www.ualberta.ca/~pblancho/index.html 

Enjoy and participate. 


Sincerely, Paul. 



        <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> 
        Dr. Paul Blanchon || Research Fellow 
        Dept. Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, 
        1-26 Earth Science Building, 
        University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. 
        Tel: (403) 492-4205 Fax: (403) 492-2030 
        E-mail: p.blanchon at ualberta.ca 
        Web: http://www.ualberta.ca/~pblancho/index.html 
        <<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<> 




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