[Coral-List] decline of coral reefs near sewage outflows
Charles Booth
booth at easternct.edu
Wed Apr 19 09:19:41 EDT 2006
I haven't read the Sun-Sentinal article cited, but I am not terribly
surprised - Patterson et al (2002) reported that white pox disease of
Acropora palmata is caused by a common fecal bacterium, Serratia marcescens.
Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 99(13): 8725-8730.
Chuck Booth
On 4/19/06 8:32 AM, "coral-list-request at coral.aoml.noaa.gov"
<coral-list-request at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> wrote:
> Send Coral-List mailing list submissions to
> coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
>
> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
> http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list
> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
> coral-list-request at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
>
> You can reach the person managing the list at
> coral-list-owner at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
>
> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
> than "Re: Contents of Coral-List digest..."
>
>
> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Re: Evidence links decline of coral reefs to sewer pipes
> (Jez Roff)
> 2. Re: Evidence links decline of coral reefs to sewer pipes
> (Gabe Sataloff)
> 3. Re: Placencia, Belize: effect of proposed development on
> corals in southern Belize (Todd Barber)
> 4. White Plague in Martinique (ommm)
> 5. Re: sexy scientists (Murdoch, Thad)
> 6. Field Course in Coral Reef Ecology (Panama) (Carlos G. A. Ormond)
> 7. "Global Dimming" and Coral (andrew ross)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2006 22:38:32 +1000
> From: "Jez Roff" <cyanobacteria at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Evidence links decline of coral reefs to
> sewer pipes
> To: Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> Message-ID:
> <22624dd20604180538y65a78f59yb484690f06b93c70 at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> Hello Coral List,
>
>> Evidence surfaces linking decline of coral reefs to sewer pipes,
>> Study backs environmentalists' suspicions that chemicals from sewer pipes
>> and coastal runoff may be harming coral reefs.
>
>> (http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-ccoral16apr16,0,2238
>> 910.story)
>
> "When scientists cut holes in corals, they found the ones near sewage
> pipes and inlets took longer to heal. At samples tested next to the
> Hollywood sewer pipe, wounds expanded rather than healed."
>
> Interesting article - can anyone provide a reference for the study
> mentioned within (Dustan et al?)
>
>
> Kind regards,
>
>
> Jez
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2006 08:31:14 -0400
> From: "Gabe Sataloff" <glsataloff at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Evidence links decline of coral reefs to
> sewer pipes
> To: "Etichscuba at aol.com" <Etichscuba at aol.com>,
> Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> Message-ID:
> <e79ea7540604180531p52dc8fbenec9532b5e9e1d253 at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> Hey everybody,
> It's nice to see that we are finally able to give some concrete evidence
> linking the anthropogenic sources of sewage and runoff to the decreased
> health of corals. Though I think this is a nice article and a step foward,
> I still have a couple of issues.
>
> First, it drives me nuts that the burden of proof lies on the scientists and
> environmental advocates to prove that what people are doing has deleterious
> effects on reefs, and the environment in general (I know I'm preaching to
> the choir here). I know this is highly unlikely (i.e. nigh to impossible),
> but I believe that there needs to be a change in how the system is run, that
> developers and businesses, etc must prove that what their practices are not
> having a large impact on the environment (my idealism is showing through
> here). I feel that at this point, we as a society wait until there is a
> gaping wound in the environment, and then try to patch it up with bandaids.
> Again, I know this is more of an idealistic rant than anything, but if more
> proactive measures are not enacted to preserve the reefs, and other
> economically, asthetically, and intrinsicaly valuable habitats, there will
> be very little left in the near future. At what point do we say that enough
> is enough?
>
> Gabe Sataloff
> Graduate Student
> Masters of Environmental Studies
> College of Charleston
>
>
> On 4/18/06, Etichscuba at aol.com <Etichscuba at aol.com> wrote:
>>
>> Evidence surfaces linking decline of coral reefs to sewer pipes,
>> Study backs environmentalists' suspicions that chemicals from sewer pipes
>> and coastal runoff may be harming coral reefs.
>>
>> By David Fleshler
>> South Florida Sun-Sentinel
>> Posted April 16 2006
>>
>> Link to Sun-Sentinel article:
>> _http://www.sun-
>> sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-ccoral16apr16,0,22389
>> 10.story_
>> (
>> http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-ccoral16apr16,0,22389
>> 10.story
>> )
>> _______________________________________________
>> Coral-List mailing list
>> Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
>> http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list
>>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2006 08:58:40 -0400
> From: "Todd Barber" <reefball at reefball.com>
> Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Placencia, Belize: effect of proposed
> development on corals in southern Belize
> To: <mtoy at destinationsbelize.com>, <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
> Message-ID: <017501c662e7$d0a96e50$6901a8c0 at reef8c359cb049>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> Mary Troy of Destinations Belize sent an appeal to the coral list last week to
> assist her with an EIA reveiw for a proposed development on the Placencia
> Peninsula in Southern Belize. The Reef Ball Foundation assisted her and has
> written a draft report and there is a link to the report which is in PDF
> format at
> http://www.reefball.org/album/belize/placenciapeninsula/eiareview/index.html.
> We would appreciate any additional reviews or comments on this report before
> we go final with the document. Additionally, Rachel Graham, who is
> researching Goliath grouper, rays and sharks in southern Belize is going to be
> in the area for the next couple of days and she is going to do some monitoring
> photos of the coral reefs in the area to strengthen the report. Therefore, if
> anyone needs any additional on-site information to make comments we have this
> opportunity.
>
> We would especially appreciate any comments on nutrient limits to coral reefs.
> The report already references Dr. Thomas Goreau's suggested levels as well as
> references to closed systems but addtional practical limits or legislated
> limits would be useful too. Please make sure to convert whatever limits you
> suggest to PPM to be comparable to the EIA units of measure. We are most
> interested in Total Nitrogen and Total Phosphate limts for coral reefs and for
> Total Nitrogen, Phospahte & Dissolved Oxygen limits for estuary systems
> health.
>
> We would also appreciate any comments on the heath of the reef in this area if
> anyone on the list has done any work there.
>
> Mary provides a link in her earlier message (below) to the original EIA if you
> would like to dive deeper into this issue. The Annex file is the most
> comprehensive. You will also find the graphics from our report at the link I
> posted above.
>
> Note: This development will have almost 13,000 people at full occupancy. And
> it will be located on a barrier island between an estuary and the Caribbean
> sea were they has not been significant human population before. All comments
> are appreciated.
>
> -Todd Barber
> Chairman
> Reef Ball Foundation
> A 501(c) 3 Public NGO
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Mary Toy" <mtoy at destinationsbelize.com>
> To: <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
> Sent: Thursday, April 13, 2006 1:10 PM
> Subject: [Coral-List] Placencia,Belize: effect of proposed development on
> corals in southern Belize
>
>
>> Dear Coral List Subscribers:
>>
>> I hope the following request is appropriate for this list. If not, I
>> apologize in advance.
>>
>> The Placencia Peninsula in southern Belize is a narrow, 14 mile peninsula
>> bounded on the west by the Placencia Lagoon, and on the east and south by
>> the Caribbean. Population of the Peninsula is about 1,500 people spread
>> along its 14-mile length. The primary industry here is tourism, mostly
>> scuba diving, sport fishing, snorkeling and kayaking related tourism. All
>> guides are from the area and most tour operators are also local. Hotels and
>> resorts are generally small, mom and pop operations, with the largest hotel
>> having about 50 rooms. (The second largest hotel probably has 20.)
>>
>> In March 2006, the Belize Department of the Environment printed an
>> announcement in the local papers about an Environmental Impact Assessment
>> (EIA) for a LARGE resort development at the northern end of the Peninsula
>> that will include a 67-acre marina holding up to 400 boats of up to 100 feet
>> in length. Construction of the marina will involve a huge dredging project
>> on the Caribbean side of the proposed development area, and will include two
>> 50 meter breakwater jetties.
>>
>> We have absolutely no one in the area who has the training to assess the
>> very technical components of the EIA regarding the dredging project and its
>> potential effects on corals located in the Caribbean off the Peninsula. The
>> developer's consulting engineer (Shabica and Associates) discusses
>> mitigating measures such as suction dredging, siltation curtains, etc.
>>
>> However, we do not know whether these measures are likely to be effective,
>> and what kind of conditions should be imposed on these measures to make them
>> effective. (For example, are all siltation curtains created equal? If not,
>> which kind of curtains should we try to require them to use and how should
>> they be positioned? Will suction dredging work if used only at the mouths of
>> the marina, or should suction dredging be required for the entire dredging
>> operation?)
>>
>> Also, the fill from the dredging will be deposited on land for later use in
>> constructing a golf course. The amount of fill to be dredged is estimated
>> at 1.2 million cubic yards, so it seems to us that a great risk of runoff
>> exists if the fill is not contained properly.
>>
>> Potential runoff from the chemicals that may be used on the golf course is
>> also a source of concern. The golf course abut the Placencia Lagoon, which
>> empties into the Caribbean, and surface water run-off from the development
>> will also be directed into the Lagoon.
>>
>> In addition, the projected population of the resort at completion will be
>> almost 13,000 people, which also presents issues of waste water and garbage
>> disposal which could also affect the health of our coral reefs. (Not to
>> mention the social ones of injecting 13,000 tourists into a community of
>> 1,500-2,000).
>>
>> This proposed project has created great concern on the Peninsula, and we're
>> doing the best we can, but we know we are missing potentially very
>> significant technical issues simply because no one here has the expertise to
>> recognize or address them.
>>
>> We have managed to convince the Belize Department of the Environment that a
>> formal public hearing on the proposed development is necessary, and the
>> hearing date has been set for 3 May 2006. We want to hold informational
>> public meetings prior to the hearing to educate Peninsula residents about
>> the project. (We have also had a tremendous issue with getting information
>> about the project - we were only able to get copies of the EIA 6 days before
>> the formal comment period was over, and only by physically driving to
>> Belmopan, Belize's capital city, and copying CDs of the EIA housed at the
>> Department of the Environment.
>>
>> Does anyone know anyone who might be willing to take a look at the EIA and
>> related Annex of technical documents to give us a heads up on issues so
>> that we can at least raise the issues, even if we can't make technical
>> recommendations about them?
>>
>> As soon as we received the CDs, we uploaded them to a file sharing site.
>> Relevant documents can be found as follows:
>>
>> EIA: http://depositfiles.com/en/files/8044/aramacaoeiafinal.pdf.html
>> Annex: http://depositfiles.com/en/files/8100/aramacaoannexes.pdf.html
>> Fact Sheet:
>> http://depositfiles.com/en/files/18746/Scarlet_Macaw_Fact_Sheet.doc.html
>> Preliminary Comments: http://www.placencia.com/PlacenciaProgress.htm (these
>> were produced very quickly in order to get something on the record)
>> Site Plan Poster:
>> http://depositfiles.com/en/files/19287/Scarlet_Macaw_Site_Plan_Poster.html
>>
>> Again, I apologize if this is an inappropriate posting. Also, thank you in
>> advance to anyone who has any suggestions.
>>
>> Mary Toy, Placencia, Belize
>> ____________________________________________
>> Mary Toy, Destinations Belize
>> Specializing in Belize Travel and Tours
>> Email: mtoy at destinationsbelize.com
>> Website: www.destinationsbelize.com
>> Belize Phone: 501-523-4018
>> Belize Cell: 501-610-4718
>> Belize Mailing Address:
>> General Delivery, Placencia, Belize
>> US Fax and Voice Mail: 1-603-452-4797
>> ___________________________________________
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Coral-List mailing list
>> Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
>> http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2006 14:00:11 -0400
> From: "ommm" <ommm at wanadoo.fr>
> Subject: [Coral-List] White Plague in Martinique
> To: <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
> Message-ID: <JBEMKMGJKMPOAJBMPHDOCEMBCEAA.ommm at wanadoo.fr>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1250"
>
> Hi,
>
> We dived in January with Judith Lang and Ken Marks (from AGRRA) to test a
> new protocol for rapid assessment of recent mortality after the 2005
> bleaching event. Using this protocol, mortality was about 18% in Martinique,
> which was low compared to USVI and Puerto Rico. At this time we had no
> disease. We recently returned to our permanent transect and we have been
> very surprised to see a lot of dead colonies, especially Montastrea genus.
> Northern Caribbean was already experiencing white plague problems in January
> while we were not. Our question is: have you noticed white plague recently
> in the islands between BVI and Martinique? Is it a south spread of the
> disease?
> All comments are appreciated.
>
> Jean-Philippe
>
>
> ****************************************************************************
> **********************
> Dr Jean-Philippe Mar?chal
> Director
> Observatoire du Milieu Marin Martiniquais
> 7 avenue Condorcet
> 97 200 Fort de France
> Martinique - France
> ommm at wanadoo.fr
> Tel/fax: 00 33 (5) 96 394216
> --
> No virus found in this outgoing message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.4.3/317 - Release Date: 18/04/2006
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 5
> Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2006 14:24:56 -0300
> From: "Murdoch, Thad" <tjmurdoch at gov.bm>
> Subject: Re: [Coral-List] sexy scientists
> To: <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
> Message-ID:
> <E71648FE106F664087EF8236E194DECA10F1DE at GOVEXG004.messaging.gov.bm>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> Ahoy corallites,
>
> In regards to the thread about increasing awareness of coral reefs, this
> following link about a "Crochet Hyperbolic Coral reef Project" came up
> on the MAKE blog today:
>
> http://theiff.org/exhibits/reef.html#
>
> I have no affiliation, just think its rather cool...
>
> Cheers - Thad Murdoch
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 6
> Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2006 14:31:55 -0700
> From: "Carlos G. A. Ormond" <cormond at sfu.ca>
> Subject: [Coral-List] Field Course in Coral Reef Ecology (Panama)
> To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> Message-ID: <200604182131.k3ILVtFs027706 at rm-rstar.sfu.ca>
> Content-Type: text/plain
>
> 2006 COURSE ANNOUNCEMENT
>
> Field Course in Coral Reef Ecology
>
> INSTRUCTORS Alfred Beulig, New College of Florida, email: beulig at ncf.edu
> Bruce Wright, Conservation Science Institute, email:
> bruce.wright at conservationinstitute.org and Carlos Ormond, Simon Fraser
> University, email: cormond at sfu.ca
>
> LOCATION The field courses will take place at the Bocas del Toro Biological
> Station, Boca del Drago, Isla Colon, Bocas del Toro, Panama. The station is
> located on the Caribbean side of Panama and situated on a beach between
> tropical rain forests and coral reefs. Marine habitats include extensive
> turtle grass beds, hard and soft coral reefs, beaches, rocky intertidals,
> mangrove forests and estuaries.
>
> COURSE LENGTH Summer field courses are four weeks in length; Winter course
> is three weeks in length.
>
> COURSE SCHEDULE Summer Session B (15 June through 12 July), Summer Session
> C (15 July through 11 August), Winter Session (20 December through 9
> January).
>
> COURSE DESCRIPTION The course will briefly survey reef systems in various
> parts of the world and focus in depth on Caribbean reefs. Using the reefs
> at Boca del Drago as examples, we will carry out an inventory of
> representative reef biota to characterize a general reef community. We will
> examine several theories on the origins of coral reefs, discuss community
> structure, biodiversity, chemical make-up, nutrient cycles and water
> circulation in the reef ecosystem in exposed and protected environments.
> The course will emphasize field methods and compare several experimental
> designs and sampling procedures for usefulness in various types of studies.
> Both SCUBA and snorkeling will be employed during the course. If interested
> students do not have SCUBA certification this will not limit them in the
> course. Most work will take place during the day, but some night dives are
> planned as well.
>
> INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH During the first 10 days of the course students will
> conduct field exercises to gain experience in the use of sampling equipment
> and methods used in coral reef research and monitoring. Students will
> prepare a written research proposal and conduct an original research project
> of their choosing. Students will carry out their project during latter half
> of the course and present their findings in and end-of-course symposium at
> the field station.
>
> COURSE CREDIT Up to six units of credit will be granted for these courses.
> Credit must be arranged by the student through his/her academic advisor and
> university. Contact ITEC for details.
>
> TUITION $1800 USD. Tuition fee includes all room and board, local
> transportation and a three-day field trip to the Boquete cloud forests.
>
> CONTACT Institute for Tropical Ecology and Conservation (ITEC); 1023 SW 2nd
> Ave., Gainesville, FL 32601; phn: 352-367-9128, fax: 352-367-0610, email:
> itec at itec-edu.org., or the above instructors. Please visit us on the web at
> www.itec-edu.org. ITEC is a Non-profit (501c3) organization.
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 7
> Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2006 02:04:08 -0700 (PDT)
> From: andrew ross <andyroo_of72 at yahoo.com>
> Subject: [Coral-List] "Global Dimming" and Coral
> To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> Message-ID: <20060419090408.67540.qmail at web50608.mail.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
>
> All,
>
> I was watching NOVA on American PBS last night and the topic was a weather
> condition called Global Dimming: a reduction in solar light penetration to the
> earth's surface due to particulate pollution and increased cloud cover over
> the past 30-50 years.
>
> I wondered how this would affect corals?
>
>
> Andrew Ross
> UWI
> Montego Bay, Jamaica
>
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> Yahoo! Messenger with Voice. PC-to-Phone calls for ridiculously low rates.
>
> ------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> Coral-List mailing list
> Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list
>
>
> End of Coral-List Digest, Vol 34, Issue 20
> ******************************************
* * * * * * *
Dr. Charles E. Booth
Dept. of Biology
Eastern Connecticut State University
Willimantic, CT 06226
Ph: 860-465-5260
Email: booth at easternct.edu
FAX: 860-465-5213
More information about the Coral-List
mailing list