[Coral-List] Fw: Re: Reminder: Deadline for submitting comments on 82 corals is April 12

[vassil zlatarski]

Jennifer,
 
Thanks for clarifying what you are requesting.  However, your invitation for submitting comments on the 82 coral species will be considerably facilitated if you advise the subscribers of Coral-List about how and why precisely these species were selected.  What were the criteria?
 
Cheers,
 
Vassil ZlatarskiD.Sc. (Biology), Ph.D. (Geology)
131 Fales Rd., Bristol, RI 02809, USA; tel.: +1-401-254-5121

--- On Thu, 3/25/10, Jennifer.Moore <Jennifer.Moore at noaa.gov> wrote:


From: Jennifer.Moore <Jennifer.Moore at noaa.gov>
Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Reminder: Deadline for submitting comments on 82 corals is April 12
To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
Date: Thursday, March 25, 2010, 9:39 AM


All,
I would like to clarify exactly what we (NOAA Fisheries Service) are requesting at this point in time.  As described in the Federal Register Notice published on February 10, 2010, we are requesting *information* to assist us in reviewing the status of the 82 species for which we made a positive 90-day Finding under the ESA.   At this time, we have not made any determinations.  The types of information we are soliciting include:  
(1) Historical and current distribution and abundance of these species throughout their ranges (U.S. and foreign waters);
(2) historic and current condition of these species and their habitat;
(3) population density and trends; 
(4) the effects of climate change on the distribution and condition of these coral species and other organisms in coral reef ecosystems over the short- and long-term;
(5) the effects of other threats including dredging, coastal development, coastal point source pollution, agricultural and land use practices, disease, predation, reef fishing, aquarium trade, physical damage from boats and anchors, marine debris, and aquatic invasive species on the distribution and abundance of these coral species over the short- and long-term; and 
(6) management programs for conservation of these coral species, including mitigation measures related to any of the threats listed under (5) above.

This information gathered will assist us in making a determination as to whether any of the species meet the definition of "endangered" or "threatened" under the ESA.  If any species are proposed for listing, we will issue a Federal Register Notice of the proposed rule and solicit *comments* at that time.

I greatly welcome any and all information you may have that will assist us in making our determinations.  If you have any questions about the ESA-listing process or this petition specifically, feel free to contact me at jennifer.moore at noaa.gov

Cheers,
Jennifer

------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Tue, 23 Mar 2010 10:16:43 -0700
From: Shaye Wolf <swolf at biologicaldiversity.org>
Subject: [Coral-List] Reminder: Deadline for submitting comments on 82
    corals is April 12
To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
Message-ID: <51295574D4B44938BEC48C0D76BDED9E at ShayeWolf>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Reminder: Deadline for submitting comments on 82 corals is April 12 

The deadline for submitting comments on the 82 coral species that were
petitioned for protection under the Endangered Species Act is fast
approaching on April 12. Comment letters from scientists, government
agencies, and the public on the status of these corals---including
information on distribution, population status, threats, and management
programs for these corals-are important to make sure that the ESA listing
decisions are based on the best available science. 

The Center for Biological Diversity, which petitioned to list these corals,
put together an information sheet on submitting comments to NMFS on the
petitioned corals, and what listing the corals would mean. To access this
information sheet, please go to:

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/coral_conservation/pdfs/Factshe
et_Coral_Comments_2010.pdf



Thanks! 

Shaye Wolf, Ph.D.
Center for Biological Diversity
351 California Street, Suite 600
San Francisco, CA 94104
office: (415) 632-5301

cell: (415) 385-5746; fax: (415) 436-9683
<mailto:swolf at biologicaldiversity.org> swolf at biologicaldiversity.org

-- 
Jennifer Ann Moore
ESA Corals Listing and Recovery Coordinator
Natural Resource Specialist
NOAA Fisheries Service
Protected Resources Division
263 13th Ave. S.
St. Petersburg, FL  33701
(727)824-5312 phone
(727)824-5309 fax
jennifer.moore at noaa.gov
http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/esa/acropora.htm
http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/esa/82CoralSpecies.htm

To those who sacrificed careers of adventure in the wide-open spaces to wrestle for conservation in the policy arena.


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