dredging & coral spawning

Peter Harrison pharriso at scu.edu.au
Sun May 3 01:15:53 EDT 1998


Dear Susan,

I strongly agree with the recommendation to cease dredging during the coral
spawning and post-spawning period/s and recommend that it be extended to
include the soft coral spawning periods as well.  We know that a whole
range of pollutants including oil hydrocarbons, trace metals and nutrients
that are likely to be associated with fine particulates and resuspended by
dredging adversely affect or inhibit fertilization precesses in corals, and
also larval settlement (increased sediment also reduces settlement rates).
Bob Richmond has some data in his 1993 review paper, the nutrient info can
be found in Ward and Harrison Panama conf. paper, and the trace metal work
and oil hydrocarbon data are currently in ms in review or about to be
submitted.  I can provide further details if needed.

Hope this helps

Peter


Dr Peter Harrison
Senior Lecturer in Ecology
Centre for Coastal Management
Southern Cross University
PO Box 157, Lismore, 2480.
Australia
International Phone 61 266 203774
International Fax  61 266 212669
pharriso at scu.edu.au




More information about the Coral-list-old mailing list