[Coral-List] What's wrong with MPAs

[Dennis Hubbard]

Hi all:

My undergraduate Coral Reefs class starts tomorrow. I like to give my
students some background so they can understand how I've come to believe
the things I tell them in class. In addition to teaching and research at
the old West Indies Lab, I was an environmental consultant in the US Virgin
Islands and did a lot of early work with the Coastal Zone Management
Program. So, I thought I'd mention that to my class and give them some
background for the policy topics we'll be discussing in the third half of
the course. I googled "Virgin Islands Coastal Zone Management" and clicked
on the first entry figuring that this was the most visited option.

I encourage you to follow my web-trail below.

First, go to:
http://coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/mystate/virgin_islands.html

This should bring up a web site for the US Virgin Islands Coastal Zone
Management Program. Very nice, eh? All kinds of interesting facts about
policy and management in the territory.

OK, now click on the link for *Marine Protected Areas* (Second one under
*Links* - about half way down the page).

That about sums it up on that front.....

But WAIT!!!!  Click on the back arrow or retype the original url (the one
in RED above) into your browser if you don't have a back arrow available.
Trust me.... it's worth it!!

OK... now there's another promising topic under the heading *Program
Achievements.* That just has to make up for your last disappointing
experience, right? Go ahead....click on the link:

*U.S. Virgin Islands Implements the Area's First Territorial Marine Park*

All right!!!! Now that's what I'm talking about!!!...... According to their
reckoning, this protected area includes 60 square miles of upland and
seabed. Very nice! Wow.....I feel better about the future of coral reefs
already!! This is great, eh? I'm sure that, like me, you want to know more.
So, just click on the link in the first line below the title - the one
labeled:

*St Croix East End Marine Park*

I think the title translates into: Buy whole, live fish here..... same day
shipping.

As a reef scientist, I'm relieved to know that my science is going into
such a well-conceived management system.

Cheers,

Dennis


-- 
Dennis Hubbard
Chair, Dept of Geology-Oberlin College Oberlin OH 44074
(440) 775-8346

* "When you get on the wrong train.... every stop is the wrong stop"*
 Benjamin Stein: "*Ludes, A Ballad of the Drug and the Dream*"