[Coral-List] what agency should list corals

Michael Risk riskmj at mcmaster.ca
Wed Apr 10 09:45:12 EDT 2013


Hello Billy, and thanks  for that reassuring news.

There is abundant evidence for pollution of the reefs of Florida by land-based sources. Lipp et al. 2002 (Mar Poll Bull 44: 666-670) report widespread occurrence of microbiological markers, and Futch et al. 2010 (Env Microbiol. 12: 964-974) report abundant human enteric viruses in groundwater-and I assume all the readers of this -list are aware of Gene Shinn's migration studies, showing rapid offshore migration of contaminated gw.

In our work, Ward-Paige et al. 2005 (MEPS 296: 155-163) "there has been a marked increase in δ15N since ca. 1993, suggesting even greater insult to the reef ecosystem from land-based sources of pollution." We also found (Ward-Paige et al., 2005: Mar Poll Bull 51: 570-579) increases in the amount of the poop-eating, coral-killing boring sponge Cliona delitrix, correlated with onshore human population.

(The picture on the east coast of Florida, by the way, is not much better. There, the last remaining coral reefs of the US Mainland are bathed in a gentle faecal rain from outfalls, and the levels of 15N in the critters is little short of stratospheric: Sherwood et al., 2010: Env Sci Tech 44: 874-880.)

So, as I say, I am greatly reassured that the LBSP problem in Florida is now under control. Now might be a great time to repeat some of those earlier studies, to show how things have improved.

Mike

On 2013-04-09, at 2:10 PM, Billy Causey - NOAA Federal wrote:

> Phil,
> The waste water in the vicinty of Key West, which services a large number
> of units from Big Coppitt to Key West, is injected into deep bore holes
> that go 3300 feet down and under a confining layer.  The AWT water that is
> injected is one step from being pure drinking water.  The remainder of the
> treatment plants in the Upper Keys down to the City of Marathon are on
> individual package plants that treat to AWT standards and the water is
> injected in 90' deep cased wells (cased to 60 feet).  All is required to be
> treated to AWT.
> 
> I have cc'ed a few colleagues (Gus, George, and Bill) who can correct
> anything that I may have mis-stated.  Billy
> 
> 
> 
> On Tue, Apr 9, 2013 at 1:39 PM, Phillip Dustan <phil.dustan at gmail.com>wrote:
> 
>> Dear Billy,
>> What is the level of treatment and where does all the treated wastewater
>> go now?
>>    Phil
>> 
>> 
>> On Tue, Apr 9, 2013 at 9:33 AM, Billy Causey - NOAA Federal <
>> billy.causey at noaa.gov> wrote:
>> 
>>> Dear Coral List,
>>> While we can't declare victory over eliminating waste water problems in
>>> the
>>> Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, as a member of the Sanctuary's
>>> Water Quality Protection Program's Water Quality Steering Committee, I can
>>> report that over 80% of the site disposal systems such as septic tanks and
>>> cess pits have been eliminated in the Florida Keys.  These waster water
>>> units are now on Centralized sewage systems up and down the Keys with
>>> advanced waste water treatment.  The remaining area unconnected is in the
>>> Lower Keys and the County, State and other officials are working hard to
>>> fund that next step of eliminating waste water.  Storm water run-off has
>>> been addressed along the way, but again ...more work remains.
>>> 
>>> Some of our focus is shifting to  canal water problems, improving the
>>> water
>>> flows through our 124 miles plus of residential canals and eliminating the
>>> accumulation of floating seagrass leaves and other organic and inorganic
>>> debris in dead-end canals.  The County and Cities are taking this
>>> challenge
>>> very seriously.  The FKNMS Water Quality Steering Committee raised this
>>> next water quality challenge and has been focusing time, energy and funds
>>> to resolve the problems.  Monroe County and the State of Florida DEP have
>>> been leading the efforts.
>>> 
>>> One of our greatest challenges continues to be an ever-increasing
>>> recreational boating community and the resulting damage to seagrasses and
>>> other benthic habitats.  Like water quality, this is a never-ending
>>> problem
>>> that has to be addressed.
>>> 
>>> Just an update....  Billy Causey
>>> 
>>> On Mon, Apr 8, 2013 at 2:14 PM, Arrecifes de coral
>>> <corales2006 at hotmail.com>wrote:
>>> 
>>>> Dear Rudy,I certainly agree with you that Decision Makers should pay
>>> more
>>>> attention to untreated sewage or wastewater reaching coral reefs and
>>>> causing diseases, the Florida Keys is only one of the many cases.
>>>> Furthermore, it is also time to start to question why civilized people
>>> as
>>>> We all humans are still use potable water to flush our toilets while the
>>>> ecological, social and economic value of such relevant natural resource
>>> is
>>>> rising up and more people in the world are in need of such a valuable
>>>> scarce resource.Nohora Galvishttp://
>>>> www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocjiEG2eK3wFundacion ICRI Colombia in Pro of
>>>> Coral Reefshttp://
>>> icri-colombia.blogspot.com/http://icri-colombia.es.tl/
>>>>> Date: Sat, 6 Apr 2013 12:29:35 -0700
>>>>> From: rudy_bonn at yahoo.com
>>>>> To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
>>>>> Subject: [Coral-List] what agency should list corals
>>>>> 
>>>>> In response to Gene's post, which he is correct BTW, but we do know
>>> that
>>>> the disease that has nearly wiped out elkhorn coral in the Florida Keys
>>> and
>>>> the bacterium associated with the disease is the same bacterium found in
>>>> the human intestinal tract.  Serratia marcescens was determined to be
>>> the
>>>> source and a coral snail the vector, transmitting it from coral to
>>> coral.
>>>> What are we going to do, dig up every septic tank in the keys?  Not
>>>> likely, see
>>>>> www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › Journal List › PLoS One › v.6(8); 2011
>>>>> we know this, is there anything being done?  when are all the keys
>>> going
>>>> to have advanced waste water treatment?  whats the problem, economics,
>>>> politics, is there a social science involvement?  Should homeowners care
>>>> enough to get their leaking septic systems repaired?  you tell me!
>>>>> 
>>>>> Rudy S Bonn
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Coral-List mailing list
>>>> Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
>>>> http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list
>>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> --
>>> Billy D. Causey, Ph.D.
>>> Regional Director
>>> Southeast Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Region
>>> NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
>>> 33 East Quay Road
>>> Key West, Florida 33040
>>> 
>>> Office:  305 809 4670 (ex 234)
>>> Mobile: 305 395 0150
>>> Fax:     305 293 5011
>>> Email:  Billy.Causey at noaa.gov
>>> 
>>> Will Our Grandchildren Remember Us For What We Conserved and Protected or
>>> For What We Let Slip Away?
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Coral-List mailing list
>>> Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
>>> http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> --
>> *
>> *
>> *
>> *
>> *
>> *
>> *
>> *
>> *
>> *
>> *"A hole is to dig"*
>>                            Ruth Krauss
>> 
>> Phillip Dustan PhD
>> Department of Biology
>> College of Charleston, SC
>> Charleston SC  29424
>> 843-953-8086 office
>> 843-224-3321 (mobile)
>> 
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Billy D. Causey, Ph.D.
> Regional Director
> Southeast Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Region
> NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
> 33 East Quay Road
> Key West, Florida 33040
> 
> Office:  305 809 4670 (ex 234)
> Mobile: 305 395 0150
> Fax:     305 293 5011
> Email:  Billy.Causey at noaa.gov
> 
> Will Our Grandchildren Remember Us For What We Conserved and Protected or
> For What We Let Slip Away?
> _______________________________________________
> Coral-List mailing list
> Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list

Michael Risk
riskmj at mcmaster.ca





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