[Coral-List] Forever

[Domenica Ventura]

Thanks you for your astute and brutally honest perception of Forever.  I,
too, as a grandmother want "Hope for the Future" for those that supersede
us. Finding hope for them, gives me hope.

Cheers,

Domenica Ventura
info at provitapaxmarineresearch.org



On Mon, May 16, 2011 at 2:12 PM, Martin Moe <martin_moe at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Scientists work with hypotheses, numbers, statistics, carefully measured
> observations, scientific descriptions of organisms, and develop
> understandings
> of temporal changes in biological and physical phenomena; and this is how
> it
> should be and how it is for coral reef scientists. The complexity of the
> coral
> reef and associated ecosystems, however, often makes precise science
> difficult,
> and in pursuit of accuracy and truth we tend to eschew the passion and
> superficiality that permeates most human thought and communication. Thus, I
> realize that there is little room for emotional environmentalism on this
> list,
> and so I hesitate to make this post (and maybe it won’t even be accepted,
> and
> that would be OK). Some will say that this list is no place for things like
> this, but others may appreciate such musings. And as discussed at length
> some
> time ago on this list, we do have to find some way (ways) of communicating
> the
> necessity of coral reef science and the reasons for conservation,
> preservation,
> and restoration of our marine ecosystems and marine natural resources to
> those
> that can see only the surface of the sea. And maybe, just maybe, this might
> be
> of help with that.
>
>
> Forever
>
> It was the year 1511. The old Calusa sat on the white sand beach of Lower
> Matecumbe Key, watched his grandchildren play in the clear sparkling waters
> at
> the edge of the island, and knowing that his remaining years were not many,
> contemplated his world. His life had been one with the tropical sea and the
> subtle seasons of these islands, he had never wanted for sustenance or
> beauty.
> As the world had been for his ancestors, it was for him, and for those who
> would
> follow him. He knew that the spirits of the earth and sea would always
> provide
> for the needs of his people. He thought of what he knew about his world.
>
> The innumerable queen conch of the nearby grass beds, they were Forever.
> The huge turtles that crawled the beaches and lay their eggs. Forever would
> they
> do so.
> The islands to the west covered with sea birds and their nests. Forever
> The giant groupers hiding in the rocks and reefs. Forever
> The mangroves with their roots that reached out to the sea. Forever
> The spiny lobsters found everywhere from bay to reef. Forever
> The birds that flooded the islands in spring and fall. Forever
> The fish of every size, form, and color that lived, according to their
> needs, in
> every different habitat throughout his world. Forever
> The ospreys and cormorants that caught fish with such ease and the eagles
> and
> frigate birds and sea gulls that stole those fish. Forever
>
> The sea urchins that lived in the rocks and reefs and buried themselves in
> the
> grass beds. Forever
> The Caribbean monk seal, found on sandy beaches and rocky shores ranged to
> every
> corner of his world. Forever
> The plump sponges that covered the bay bottoms and provide habitat and
> utility.
> Forever
> The great living rocks, the foundation of his world, the corals that
> protected
> the islands during storms and made homes for fish and other creatures of
> amazing
> form and color. They were Forever
>
> He thought that this was how it was, this is how it is, and this is how it
> would
> be, Forever. He knew that when his days were done he would still be a part
> of
> his world and his world was, Forever. And he was content.
>
> Six hundred years later I sit where perhaps he sat so long ago. My grand
> children play in the waters that sparkle just as brightly, but are filled
> with
> the effluent of a civilization unimaginable not so very long ago. My
> thoughts
> also wander as my days wind down, as did his. I also love these islands,
> but I
> am not content. I know that Forever, is not forever.
>
> Martin Moe
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