[Coral-List] "Protecting corals" - 82 Corals Status Review
Christopher Hawkins
chwkins at yahoo.com
Thu Jun 7 19:14:02 EDT 2012
Hello everyone:
Having spent a lot of time with both the revised and current versions of the management plan that governs the operation of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, I can tell you that when Gene says that "all corals are protected" within the FKNMS, he is speaking relatively and that such a statement is dependent. Dependent on your definition of "protected," dependent on what areas of the Sanctuary we are talking about, dependent on what specific things need how much specific protection and where. This list goes on..
We are talking about an area of water (approximately 3,000 sq. nautical miles) that has a large resident and tourist population on small islands adjacent, entrenched recreational and commercial uses, and a plethora of impacts from near and far beyond the boundaries of the Sanctuary.
My point is that while the Congressional legislation that created the FKNMS spends a lot space talking about "protecting" the coral reef resources in the Keys, the fact is that the things necessary so in a way that might have immediate, large-scale, and dramatic impacts would be socially-unacceptable. This of course to take nothing away from the folks trying their best to manage the Sanctuary. It is just the socio-political reality indicative of the resource management paradox of trying to maintain an ecosystem in a particular state for future generations while at the same time allowing the current generation access and use.
So, are we really protecting corals in the Keys via the Sanctuary? Will ESA listing do anything of the sort? Again, it depends.
Best,
Chris
--- On Thu, 6/7/12, Eugene Shinn <eshinn at marine.usf.edu> wrote:
From: Eugene Shinn <eshinn at marine.usf.edu>
Subject: [Coral-List] 82 Corals Status Review under the US Endangered Species Act
To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
Date: Thursday, June 7, 2012, 2:34 PM
There can be little argument against protecting corals from
anthropogenic sources when the sources are verifiable such as the
"usual suspects" dredging etc. They can be controlled and monitored.
It is different when other mysterious anthropogenic or natural
sources that are not easily verifiable wipe-out large reef areas
throughout the Caribbean. More ESA regulatory bureaucracy just builds
additional barriers to research and diverts the funding needed to
discover and eliminate those sources of coral demise. Such additional
bureaucracy also pits major agencies and their divisions against each
other. What is happening in the Florida Keys may be partly
anthropogenic; especially in near shore areas where coral patch reefs
were recently killed by the cold front in 2010. Fortunately a branch
of NOAA (Dept. of Commerce) and yet another Federal Agency (National
Park Service) already protects all corals in the Florida Keys and
nearby Dry Tortugas yet demise continues as I have been documenting
for over 50 years. <http://gallery.usgs.gov/videos/334> There are
hopeful signs that Acropora cervicornis is recovering in the
Tortugas, however, it will likely be temporary because coring has
shown it was never a significant reef builder there. However, father
out in the greater Caribbean the slow death continues, including
places where humans are few, and far between, and extreme coral
killing cold fronts do not occur. Listing will do nothing for those
corals or those in Florida for that matter. The euphemism, "tools
provided by ESA," mentioned by DeeVon I assume means more laws and
regulations. If so that should really scare scientists and government
agencies trying to do research on the causes of demise. Gene
--
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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