[Coral-List] Education of the masses

[Antares Ramos Álvarez]

¡Hola!

I've been brainstorming about how to get the message out on why the reefs
are important...which I'm very grateful it was given such media emphasis
during the closing of the ICRS.  And I just thought of billboards, those
hideous and obnoxious adds we see when we are driving.  If we can't beat
them, join them...
Simple messages such as,
"Did you know that corals are animals? We can still save them" (the
inspiration for this one I thank Sarah Frias-Torres, who was telling me how
one of the main issues to get the Acroporas listed under the US Endangered
Species List was that the public and politicians thought that corals were
rocks).
"Did you know that coral reefs are responsible for providing food to N% of
the world?"
"Did you know that corals are an important component in HIV and cancer
medicines?", etc. etc. etc.
Simple yet informative and educational.

BUT funding would definitely be the huge issue here.  Any ideas on funding
bodies that would be interested?  Maybe the media could donate space in
their papers and programs?
I think this could be a great effort and a great campaign to start on the
year of the coral reefs to serve the purpose of educating the masses.  Food
for thought...(pretty much literally!)
I'd love to hear any comments.

With best wishes from Puerto Rico,

Antares

Antares Ramos-Alvarez, MSc
PhD Candidate
Tropical Ecology Group
University of Oxford, UK



-- 
"Some of the most peaceful moments are lived underwater, while trying to
coexist with that world."