[Coral-List] The Saga of Dean Jacobson and Majuro Coral Mining (Jim Hendee)

Wed Mar 19 17:25:37 EDT 2014

I have some excellent media contacts.  Does anyone have a really good summary of the issue…I’m happy to pass on. 

Ellen

Ellen Prager, PhD
President, Earth2Ocean, Inc
Ph 305.720.7070
www.earth2ocean.net

On Mar 19, 2014, at 1:25 PM, Bourque, Amanda <amanda_bourque at nps.gov> wrote:

> Anyone know anyone at 60 minutes?  Anderson Cooper?  Where are all of those
> media-connected people?
> 
> *Amanda Bourque, Ph.D.*
> *Ecologist, Habitat Restoration Program*
> *Biscayne National Park*
> *9700 SW 328 Street*
> *Homestead FL 33033*
> *786-335-3626 office*
> *305-431-7011 mobile*
> *305-230-1190 fax*
> 
> 
> On Wed, Mar 19, 2014 at 10:50 AM, Dennis Hubbard <dennis.hubbard at oberlin.edu
>> wrote:
> 
>> Hi all:
>> 
>> I very quickly signed Dean's petition way back when, so I assume that path
>> isn't working well. More recently I have been researching places to write
>> and at least be a thorn in their side. I just posted on the Facebook page
>> for the Marshall Islands EPA office (see url below). I didn't check the
>> option to "like" the page.
>> 
>> 
>> https://www.facebook.com/pages/RMI-EPA-Marshall-Islands-Environment-Protection-Authority/567859269972579?ref=stream
>> 
>> I seem to remember Jim posting that we had reached 8,000 members. If this
>> is correct, we have a significant strength in numbers. If we pass around
>> any information on agencies/individuals that could be flooded by 8,000
>> individual emails that would at least raise the specter that the word's out
>> (other than our congress - they've been oh so effective lately).
>> 
>> And, we need to make each one personal - not just a document with a bunch
>> of electronic signatures. Clicking on "sign me up" doesn't take much
>> initiative and folks who receive these know it. But 8,000 individually
>> crafted objections by obviously cranky members of the scientific community
>> could make some difference. I talked about sea-level rise in my class today
>> and brought in both our recent research on SL vs reef building.... and
>> Dean's saga. The result is a good number outraged students - so we have a
>> couple more dozen voices.
>> 
>> I will continue to look for outlets in between lecturing and being chair.
>> If we can share these, we might be able to create a sort of clearinghouse
>> that we could use to build a unified response to what is a clearly
>> rediculous situation. I have learned that it derives largely from the
>> Marshall Islands renewed status under the Compact of Free Association
>> following WWII and all the wonderful things we did to these islands.
>> 
>> Dennis
>> 
>> 
>> On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 1:14 PM, mtupper <mtupper at coastal-resources.org
>>> wrote:
>> 
>>> Jim, would it be worthwhile sending all the Coral-List discussions about
>>> Dean's
>>> saga along with a petition to some decision-makers who might have the
>>> clout to
>>> intervene?
>>> 
>>> Just a thought...
>>> 
>>> Mark
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Dr. Mark Tupper
>>> Coastal Resources Association
>>> 2503-13618 100 Ave., Surrey, BC, Canada V3T 0A8
>>> www.coastal-resources.org
>>> Email: mtupper at coastal-resources.org
>>> Tel. +1-778-903-6420
>>> 
>>>> On March 17, 2014 at 2:25 PM "Delbeek, Charles" <
>> CDelbeek at calacademy.org
>>>> 
>>>> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> What I find somewhat disturbing is that this not new, Dean has been
>>> actively
>>>> petitioning this list for help in raising awareness at all levels of
>>>> government for this issue, yet it seems as if some are treating this as
>>> new.
>>>> It is not ... Dean has been waging this battle for several years, with
>>> little
>>>> help from those in a position to actually help.
>>>> 
>>>> J. Charles Delbeek, M.Sc.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
>>>> [mailto:coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov] On Behalf Of Carly
>>> Kenkel
>>>> Sent: Friday, March 14, 2014 11:27 AM
>>>> To: coral list
>>>> Subject: Re: [Coral-List] The Saga of Dean Jacobson and Majuro Coral
>>> Mining
>>>> (Jim Hendee)
>>>> 
>>>> Dear Coral-Listers,
>>>> 
>>>> I feel compelled to write in support of Dean Jacobson and his attempts
>> to
>>>> raise awareness concerning the impending doom of reefs in Majuro. I had
>>> the
>>>> pleasure of meeting Dean in 2010 when I spent a few weeks in the US
>>>> Marshall Islands sampling corals as part of NOAA funded project aimed
>> at
>>>> evaluating genetic connectivity of Acroporids across Micronesia. Dean
>> was
>>>> kind enough to introduce me to the local reefs and share some of his
>> work
>>>> documenting reef diversity in the region.
>>>> 
>>>> The fragile status of reefs in and around Majuro are a conservation
>>>> biologist's worst nightmare. Majuro and Arno contain some of the most
>>>> striking atolls I have ever seen. The structure of these reefs is
>>>> breathtaking and though far from pristine, there are coral species on
>>> these
>>>> island that I have never seen anywhere else, such as the super-rare
>>>> "elkhorn" coral that made headlines a few years ago (
>>>> 
>>> 
>> http://www.nbcnews.com/id/38566957/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/worlds-rarest-coral-found-remote-pacific-atoll/#.UyMs8V5siA0
>>> ).
>>>> However, these islands are also some of the most impoverished in
>>>> Micronesia, combining the worst attributes of a US-funded welfare state
>>>> with a social structure that places all the wealth and power in the
>> hands
>>>> of a corrupt minority.
>>>> 
>>>> While I'm sure the Marshallese care about their home, reef conservation
>>>> will always take a backseat to feeding their families. There are
>>>> individuals and organizations involved in conservation efforts in
>> Majuro.
>>>> However, I witnessed as members of a conservation organization on
>> Majuro
>>>> turned a blind eye to a massive female turtle when she rolled onto the
>>> dock
>>>> in Arno, filling the bed of a truck, belly up. She was caught while
>>> digging
>>>> a nest on the beach and destined to be the prime delicacy at a birthday
>>>> cook-out back on Majuro.
>>>> 
>>>> Given Dean's experience and my own observations, I do not think local
>>>> efforts to prevent dredging are capable of success. However, the
>> Marshall
>>>> Islands are a US protectorate, and clearly the FAA and EPA have some
>>>> control over this project. I know people who read this listserv have
>>>> connections to policy makers in the US. As Dr. Hendee pointed out, more
>>>> can be done. If you are able, please take the time to make inquiries
>>> about
>>>> the runway extension project at Majuro. I believe our combined efforts
>>> can
>>>> make an impact.
>>>> 
>>>> Best,
>>>> 
>>>> Carly
>>>> 
>>>> --
>>>> Carly Kenkel
>>>> PhD Candidate
>>>> Dept of Integrative Biology
>>>> The Univ of Texas at Austin
>>>> carly.kenkel at gmail.com
>>>> office: 512-475-6424
>>>> cell: 623-910-2394
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>> 
>> 
>> 
>> --
>> 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*"
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