[Coral-List] Reef research needs
Eugene Shinn
eshinn at marine.usf.edu
Tue Oct 25 15:54:08 EDT 2011
Thanks Christopher, You are correct. I should not have used the
social engineering term. It does work both ways. However, I still
feel strongly that we have taken the wrong bus by not insisting that
the full effects of mosquito pesticides on corals be thoroughly
investigated. Also, diesel oil is used as the carrier and that alone
is generally considered toxic to coral reefs. Below is a better
account of the situation from a larger communication I recently sent
to sanctuary management. Gene
I looked at the National Marine Sanctuaries Condition
Reports-Florida, http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/condition/ and
was interested to see the segment under Habitat, number 7. The
question there is, "What are the contaminant concentrations in
sanctuary habitats and how are they changing? The answer given is,
"Few studies, but no synthesis of information." What about the
sewage issue which is presently being addressed with a new sewage
system and the huge compilation of Florida Keys environmental issues
discussed in Bill Kruczynski's book which is in press? And what about
pesticides?
At many meetings I have brought up the fact that there have
been few if any studies related to the effect of aerial mosquito
spraying on corals and coral habitats. Everyone in the Keys knows the
pesticide and diesel mix kills mosquitoes and butterflies and
certainly it must kill other insects yet no one has done a simple
toxicity study to see if it affects corals. I point out that places
like the Keys Marine lab where they keep live organisms in open tanks
have for years been put off limits for the spray planes. That seems a
clear demonstration that the pesticide is considered hazardous to
marine organisms. Also I am aware that the study of conch larvae at
the Keys Marine Lab showed they grow slower, or not at all, in near
shore Keys waters compared to offshore waters. So after all these
years why has NOAA not funded (or asked for) a well planned study to
determine the effects of pesticides on coral reef communities?
Apparently NOAA and the State of Florida DEP must take the word of
the manufacturer that these pesticides target only mosquitoes.
Recently because of a huge increase in mosquitoes the state-funded
spray planes have switched back to malathion. Common sense tells us
that malathion can not be healthy for corals. Yes I know they try to
avoid spraying over water but anything that lands in the hardwoods
and mangroves where the mosquitoes breed becomes runoff either on the
surface or in the groundwater which our earlier studies show moves
seaward toward the coral reefs with each tidal change.
I am aware that the pesticide issue is probably off limits for
economic and political reasons but nevertheless was pleased to see
that the report was honest in this respect.
--
No Rocks, No Water, No Ecosystem (EAS)
------------------------------------ -----------------------------------
E. A. Shinn, Courtesy Professor
University of South Florida
College of Marine Science Room 221A
140 Seventh Avenue South
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
<eshinn at marine.usf.edu>
Tel 727 553-1158----------------------------------
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