[Coral-List] What do coral reef scientists perceive are the major, threats to Caribbean coral reefs?

Steve Mussman sealab at earthlink.net
Thu Apr 17 17:24:19 EDT 2014


   Dear Gene,
   I for one have no dog in this fight, but I would like to be able to tell my
   newborn grandson that we are working on the problem and that those you refer
   to as coral reefers are trying their best to address the threats so that he
   will one day have good reason to want to explore the wonders of the blue.
   While there are surely a multitude of issues involved, I have not yet become
   so distrustful and suspicious as to assume that it's all been just a game.
   Perhaps I am naive, but I find solace in the fact that good scientists are
   out there working hard to find real solutions. I love reading their work and
   although I don't always agree with their conclusions, I say to all of them .
   . . please continue the quest.
   Regards,
   Steve
   -----Original Message-----
   >From: Eugene Shinn
   >Sent: Apr 17, 2014 1:02 PM
   >To: "coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov"
   >Subject: [Coral-List] What do coral reef scientists perceive are the major,
   threats to Caribbean coral reefs?
   >
   >It's interesting to observe human nature, especially when it is coral
   >reefers. Attitudes of coral reefers seem to be influenced by who has a
   >dog in the fight. Many years ago I published that hurricanes were the
   >number top dog. But that was back when we were having a bunch of
   >hurricanes and were documenting the extreme damage they did. Later it
   >was disease that was the problem but at that time all the dogs were
   >anchor damage and ship wrecks. Disease was taken out of the ring for a
   >while. We finally got over that so now the latest dog in the fight is
   >climate change. Before climate change global warming was top dog but
   >after more than 15-years without much warming climate change became the
   >dog to bet on. Now that people are learning Earth has always experienced
   >changing climates attention shifted. Acidification became the top dog.
   >I am as guilty of betting on the wrong dog as anyone. Several years ago
   >I thought the top dog (at least in the Florida Keys) was sewage in
   >groundwater. Next it was dust but now mosquito pesticides might be top
   >dog. That's one dog that remains to be fully tested. Or maybe it really
   >is Lion Fish after all? Isn't there a dogfish out there somewhere? What
   >will it be five years from now? Surely the fight will shift again. 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
   >
   >Tel 727 553-1158
   >---------------------------------- -----------------------------------
   >
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