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Dear Ursula--I sympathize with you but would point out that in the Florida
Keys, the water <i>turned green </i>and we still have those who would deny
that there is a problem. Sure the nutrients can't be traced to the
reef--its in the green water...and the algal blooms.....etc. .
Regards, DeeVon Quirolo, Ex. Director, Reef Relief
<p>Ursula Keuper-Bennett wrote:
<blockquote TYPE=CITE>Dear Coral Types,
<p>I've been following the debate about the demise of coral reefs with
great
<br>interest.
<p>As recreational divers who have adopted a coral reef, we care very much
<br>about the health of "ours". This reef is also home to a group
of Hawaiian
<br>green sea turtles we love and that makes our interest even more intense.
<p>Right now coral researchers can discuss/debate all sorts of issues that
<br>affect coral reefs --global warming, sedimentation, pollution, run-off,
<br>over-fishing, coral predation, El Nino, bleaching, faunal/floral changes,
<br>thermal events, coral mortality events, algae blooms, this model and
that
<br>model --but ultimately there's a problem.
<p>And Tim Ecott spelled it out nicely.
<p>He wrote:
<p>>Given that it is reasonably easy, in layman's terms, to convince the
<br>>'general public' that the sea is an essential component of our fragile
<br>>biosphere, then there seems only one useful end to the debate about
coral
<br>>mortality - that the planet is in deep shit.
<p>Drawing from our own experience diving in West Maui, Hawaii, it is VERY
<br>difficult to convince the "general public" that our section of ocean
is in
<br>trouble, let alone get action. And we ARE in trouble.
<p>We've had repeated algae blooms:
<p>1991 <<a href="http://www.turtles.org/head91.jpg">http://www.turtles.org/head91.jpg</a>>
<p>and here from just this summer:
<p><<a href="http://www.turtles.org/cladophora000712am2.jpg">http://www.turtles.org/cladophora000712am2.jpg</a>>
<p>On strong current days we have to pick algae slime off our favourite
corals
<br>to make sure they don't smother:
<p><<a href="http://www.turtles.org/cladophoracoralpab000731am4.jpg">http://www.turtles.org/cladophoracoralpab000731am4.jpg</a>>
<p>The vast majority of the sea turtles we know have tumours.
<p><<a href="http://www.turtles.org/98-50in99.jpg">http://www.turtles.org/98-50in99.jpg</a>>
<p>Most corals to our northern perimeter are just green lumps, with seaweed
<br>growing on them, killed in the '89 bloom.
<p>But here's the REAL problem.
<p>No matter how many turtles sicken,
<p><<a href="http://www.turtles.org/ukbvideos2000108000711am.jpg">http://www.turtles.org/ukbvideos2000108000711am.jpg</a>>
<p>no matter how much seaweed-stink lines our beach attracting white flies,
<p><<a href="http://www.turtles.org/98-50in99.jpg">http://www.turtles.org/98-50in99.jpg</a>>
<p>no matter who SLIMY the water is to swim in (that's my husband and his
fins
<br>right side there, and yes, we dive in this stuff)
<p><<a href="http://www.turtles.org/pabcladophora000714am.jpg">http://www.turtles.org/pabcladophora000714am.jpg</a>>
<p>the "general public" lounging on the beach or enjoying a tour on a
<br>catamaran, will look around and see only BLUE OCEAN --and be lulled
into
<br>thinking that nothing is wrong.
<p>That ocean BETRAYS us --it stays blue no matter WHAT is happening under
the
<br>water.
<p>Even in 1991 when I was armpit deep in Cladophora one day.
<p><<<a href="http://www.turtles.org/asp00900.jpg">http://www.turtles.org/asp00900.jpg</a>>>
<p>And there were rafts of Hypnea on the surface.
<p><<a href="http://www.turtles.org/raft91.jpg">http://www.turtles.org/raft91.jpg</a>>
<p>to anyone else looking seaward that day, guess what?
<p>That ocean was BLUE. It was business as usual.
<p>And back then I was silly enough to think that all that blight would
harm
<br>tourism in our area --that people would not come back because of the
slime
<br>and the stink. But I was wrong. Last summer (almost ten
years later)
<br>tourists now PLAY with the seaweed, tossing it to each other.
They lie on
<br>the lounge chairs --a bit away from the white flies mind you --but
still
<br>catch rays among the weed and the flies.
<p>Tim Ecott wrote:
<p>>We journalists are certainly 'simplistic'. It is a simple issue. The
reefs
<br>>are dying and most of the world doesn't know about it - let alone
care.
<p>He's right. So long's the ocean's blue on top, people really don't
care
<br>WHAT'S been swept under the "carpet"!
<p>And calling back Tim's comment from before:
<p>>Given that it is reasonably easy, in layman's terms, to convince the
<br>>'general public' that the sea is an essential component of our fragile
<br>>biosphere, then there seems only one useful end to the debate about
coral
<br>>mortality - that the planet is in deep shit.
<p>I agree completely -- "the planet is in deep shit."
<p>And I'm convinced the planet is in deep shit because we humans can adapt
to
<br>anything --INCLUDING shit.
<p>So long's that ocean's BLUE!
<p>Ursula Keuper-Bennett
<br>TURTLE TRAX
<p>P.S. This does not mean we've given up!
<p><<a href="http://www.turtles.org/zeusinflight000803amresampld.jpg">http://www.turtles.org/zeusinflight000803amresampld.jpg</a>>
<br>-----------------------------------------
<br>
^
Ursula Keuper-Bennett
<br>
0 0
mailto: howzit@turtles.org
<br> /V^\
/^V\
<br> /V Turtle Trax
V\ <a href="http://www.turtles.org">http://www.turtles.org</a>
<br> /
\
<p>"A promise is a promise, Lt. Dan."
<p> \
/ -- Forrest Gump
<br> /
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<br> /__| V |__\
<br> malama na honu</blockquote>
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