[Coral-List] political arguments on coral-list (William Precht)
Ruzicka, Rob
Rob.Ruzicka at MyFWC.com
Fri May 23 11:33:05 EDT 2014
Hi Bill & Mike,
As you have both noted, the decades long decline of corals in the Florida Keys, has been a complex, multi-faceted mix of thermal stress, disease, deteriorating water quality, harmful algal blooms, etc. This list of stressors, as we all aware, is quite extensive with some factors having a more pronounced effect than others, some stressors acting synchronously with others; some stressors precipitating the rise of others (e.g. increased disease prevalence following major thermal stress). While this debate is endless, some corrective actions have implemented, and we all agree that more needs to be accomplished.
Moving the conversation forward, these stressors and the loss of coral is undoubtedly changing the seascape of benthic communities in Keys ecosystem. I wanted to bring to your attention, if you haven't seen it already, the most recent summary from the Coral Reef Evaluation Monitoring Project (CREMP).. Mike you referenced the early PIs on this project, several of whom who have now retired or dedicated their time to other research efforts. The paper focuses on the larger changes happening within the benthic communities of the Keys Reefs, the status of corals since the 1997/1998 mass bleaching event, and provides perspective on what reef assemblages will look like in the near future. Based upon the tenure of CREMP, the results provide one of the most comprehensive assessments of temporal changes occurring within the Florida Keys reef ecosystem. The paper is freely available online at: http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v489/
Ruzicka R, Colella M, Porter J, Morrison J, Kidney J, Brinkhuis V, Lunz K, Macaulay K, Bartlett L, Meyers M, Colee J (2013) Temporal changes in benthic assemblages on Florida Keys reefs 11 years after the 1997/1998 El Nino. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 489:125-141
Enjoy,
Rob Ruzicka
Coral Program
Fish & Wildlife Research Institute
Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission
100 8th Ave SE
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Phone: 727-892-4127
Email: rob.ruzicka at myfwc.com
http://research.myfwc.com/
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Message: 4
Date: Thu, 22 May 2014 15:22:41 -0400
From: William Precht <william.precht at gmail.com<mailto:william.precht at gmail.com>>
Subject: Re: [Coral-List] political arguments on coral-list
To: Michael Risk <riskmj at mcmaster.ca<mailto:riskmj at mcmaster.ca>>
Cc: Eugene Shinn <eugeneshinn at mail.usf.edu<mailto:eugeneshinn at mail.usf.edu>>,
"coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov<mailto:coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>" <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov<mailto:coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>>
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<CAGVTjtGUehASoCm_oPAHcrbiNT+SYV9RKZMYwK8SAngd7KCkjA at mail.gmail.com<mailto:CAGVTjtGUehASoCm_oPAHcrbiNT+SYV9RKZMYwK8SAngd7KCkjA at mail.gmail.com>>
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I was going to stay out this mess because it was getting personal.
Two of my very close friends, colleagues, and mentors, Billy Causey and
Gene Shinn, are taking shots at each other. This is painful to watch,
especially in a public forum.
However, for Mike Risk to come along and blame Billy (i.e. managers of the
FKNMS) for coral loss over the last few decades is both scientifically
unfounded and wrongheaded. Data from throughout the Caribbean and the
Florida Keys indicate that no form of local stewardship or management could
have protected these coral populations (especially the loss of *Acropora
palmata* and *A. cervicornis*) from their major sources of mortality or
changed the overall trajectory of coral loss during the past few decades.
Specifically in Florida, winter cold fronts, hurricanes, numerous coral
bleaching events, and coral and urchin diseases are stressors with known
cause-and-effect relationships at multiple spatial and temporal scales.
I encourage folks on the Coral List interested in the scientific merits of
this argument to read the following manuscripts:
Precht, W.F. and S.L. Miller. 2007. Ecological Shifts along the Florida
Reef Tract: The Past as a Key to the Future. In: Geological Approaches to
Coral Reef Ecology. R. B. Aronson (Editor). Chapter 9: 237-312. Springer,
NY.
Lirman, D., Schopmeyer, S., Manzello, D., Gramer, L. J., Precht, W. F.,
Muller-Karger, F., ... & Thanner, S. (2011). Severe 2010 cold-water event
caused unprecedented mortality to corals of the Florida Reef Tract and
reversed previous survivorship patterns. *PLoS one*, *6*(8), e23047.
Burman, S. G., Aronson, R. B., & van Woesik, R. (2012). Biotic
homogenization of coral assemblages along the Florida reef tract. *Marine
Ecology Progress Series*, *467*, 89.
Toth, L. T., van Woesik, R., Murdoch, T. J. T., Smith, S. R., Ogden, J. C.,
Precht, W. F., & Aronson, R. B. (2014). Do no-take reserves benefit
Florida?s corals? 14 years of change and stasis in the Florida Keys
National Marine Sanctuary. *Coral Reefs*, 1-13.
Let's stick to the science!
Bill Precht
On Thu, May 22, 2014 at 10:48 AM, Michael Risk <riskmj at mcmaster.ca<mailto:riskmj at mcmaster.ca>> wrote:
> > Billy:
> >
> > When Gene started working in Florida, coral cover was about 45%. It is
> > now less than 4%.
> >
> > It is obvious that "management" is failing. Instead of railing against
> > Gene, you might give some thought as to the points he makes. Citing the
> > complexity of the system is management-speak for, "we have no idea what
> > we are doing."
> >
> > Mike
> On May 20, 2014, at 7:03 PM, Billy Causey - NOAA Federal <
> billy.causey at noaa.gov<mailto:billy.causey at noaa.gov>> wrote:
>
> > Gene,
> > Please don 't pretend you know what Sanctuary management is about.
> > You are way off the mark and have no idea of the complexity in
> > managing 2900 sq nautical miles (9800 sq k) of some of the nation 's
> > most significant and heavily- used marine resources with about 28
> > different jurisdictions.
> >
> > The solutions and answers are no where close to as simple as you imply.
> >
> > When is sailing off into the sunset on your agenda?
> > Billy
> >
> >
> >
> > Billy D. Causey, Ph.D.
> > Southeast Regional Director
> > NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
> >
> > 33 East Quay Road
> > Key West, Florida 33040
> >
> > Phone:
> > 305 809 4670 office
> > 305 395 0150 mobile
> > 305 293 5011 fax
> >
> > Email:
> > billy.causey at noaa.gov<mailto:billy.causey at noaa.gov>
> >
> >
> >> On May 20, 2014, at 6:02 PM, Eugene Shinn <eugeneshinn at mail.usf.edu<mailto:eugeneshinn at mail.usf.edu>>
> wrote:
> >>
> >> Thank you Chris and Daphne. Yes it is a contact sport but one we have
> >> all created. I well remember when the coral-list began. It was for
> >> scientists trading technical information...then it began to change and
> >> it started to bother some that so much space was used advertising reef
> >> management jobs and the like. When climate and acidification became an
> >> issue things became even more political and complicated. I might mention
> >> here that global warming came after the 1970s when Steve Schneider was
> >> predicting we were headed into another ice age. The problem I constantly
> >> worry about is that NOAA, which claims to be a
> >> technical/science-oriented agency, sponsors the coral-list. At the same
> >> time the Coral reef Sanctuaries are part of NOAA and they are mainly
> >> about management/enforcement. Both are under the dept. of Commerce so
> >> that adds another level of restraints and unintended consequences. What
> >> if science uncovers a problem, for example that aerial spraying of
> >> mosquito pesticides is harming the reef, would that activity is made
> >> illegal? Not likely because it would drastically affect the
> >> Economy/Commerce of the Florida Keys. Another example would be
> >> sunscreen, which some published research suggest causes coral bleaching.
> >> (The stuff is banned in Mexican coral reef parks) If NOAA/dept. of
> >> Commerce banned sunscreen in the Keys might they be accused of promoting
> >> more skin cancers? The tourism/economy would certainly be affected. We
> >> can't have that. There are many such examples because the economy of the
> >> keys is greatly dependent on natural resources such as the
> >> fishing/lobster industry. Again the same political problem! The
> >> Sanctuary controls those activities by enforcing rules set up by another
> >> NOAA agency, National Marine Fisheries. And right next door is
> >> Everglades National Park, which is the dept. of Interior with a very
> >> different philosophy. Mosquito spraying is not allowed on their property
> >> and they have their own fishery rules/regulations and enforcement
> >> officers. And lets not forget Fish and Wildlife Service, yet another
> >> part of the dept. of Interior. And of course there are the State Parks
> >> such as Pennekamp. See what a convoluted political situation we have! We
> >> just do it to ourselves. Does anyone really expect all these diverse
> >> parts of government to operate seamlessly especially at their
> >> headquarters back in Washington DC where each is constantly trying to
> >> increase its funding and influence? It's clear we can't take politics
> >> out of coral reef science and research. A friend of mine used to say the
> >> definition of mixed emotions is when your mother in law drives your new
> >> Cadillac over a cliff. We certainly seem to have created a lot of mixed
> >> emotions to deal with. 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
> >> <eugeneshinn at mail.usf.edu<mailto:eugeneshinn at mail.usf.edu>>
> >> Tel 727 553-1158
> >> ---------------------------------- -----------------------------------
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> Coral-List mailing list
> >> Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov<mailto:Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
> >> http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list
> > _______________________________________________
> > Coral-List mailing list
> > Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov<mailto:Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
> > http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list
>
> Michael Risk
> riskmj at mcmaster.ca<mailto:riskmj at mcmaster.ca>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Coral-List mailing list
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> http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list
>
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Message: 6
Date: Thu, 22 May 2014 19:47:24 -0400
From: Michael Risk <riskmj at mcmaster.ca<mailto:riskmj at mcmaster.ca>>
Subject: Re: [Coral-List] political arguments on coral-list
To: William Precht <william.precht at gmail.com<mailto:william.precht at gmail.com>>
Cc: Eugene Shinn <eugeneshinn at mail.usf.edu<mailto:eugeneshinn at mail.usf.edu>>,
"coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov<mailto:coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>" <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov<mailto:coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>>
Message-ID: <370EEC95-1709-4976-AF3C-0B43A159C18C at mcmaster.ca<mailto:370EEC95-1709-4976-AF3C-0B43A159C18C at mcmaster.ca>>
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Bill:
By all means, let us be accurate. I did not simply "come along and blame Billy." Gene, as he has done so often in the past, tried to get us to think by poking us. He posted some thoughts on management in which he outlined the problems of overlapping jurisdictions. He did not mention Billy.
Billy responded with a personally insulting message to Gene that was so over-the-top I am surprised I was the only one who responded to it. (I am still waiting for Billy?s public apology.) You were evidently okay with Billy's posting, but have chosen to take issue with mine.
Much of what you say is factually untrue, and the rest of it may be challenged.
(It is in fact amusing to the external viewer. If it is true that "no form of local stewardship" could have averted the decline, then I look forward to a host of termination slips being issued by state and federal governments.. Why not, if they are doing no good?)
Hurricanes and winter cold fronts are obviously irrelevant to the present rate of decline. Hurricanes have been around since-possibly-the Ordovician, and cold fronts almost as long. What is different is the ability of reefs to survive these events.
I also urge folks on this list to look up some of the wonderful work done by the older guys in the field-Gene, of course, and Phil Dustan and many other golden oldies-who began to document decline of Florida's reefs in the early 70s. This is long before major bleaching events, and long before the urchin die off.
As this thread is supposedly about management, I would point out that there is only one example in the Caribbean where the water was cleaned up and the corals came back-Worthing, Barbados. Local stewardship. There is no such example from Florida.
I have noted a reluctance amongst the ranks of government employees to confront the threats posed by land-based sources of pollution. I note that your list of references is woefully biased. I would suggest to readers that another perspective could be gained by reading any or all of the following. The first reference is 25 years old. The reefs of Florida would be in much better shape now if people had listened to Brian Lapointe a quarter-century ago.
Lapointe, B. E., J. D. O?Connell and G. S. Garrett. 1990. Nutrient coupling between on-site sewage disposal systems, groundwater?s, and nearshore surface waters of the Florida keys. Biogeochemistry 10: 289-307.
Risk MJ, Lapointe BE, Sherwood OA, Bedford BJ (2009) The use of ?15N in assessing sewage stress on coral reefs. Marine Pollution Bulletin 58:793?802.
Bruno J, Petes L, Harvell C, Hettinger A (2003) Nutrient enrichment can increase the severity of coral diseases. Ecology Letters 6:1056?1061.
Voss J, Richardson L (2006) Nutrient enrichment enhances black band disease progression in corals. Coral Reefs 25:569?576.
Baker D, MacAvoy S, Kim K (2007) Relationship between water quality, ?15N, and aspergillosis of Caribbean sea fan corals. Marine Ecology Progress Series 343:123?130.
Lapointe B, Barile P, Matzie W (2004) Anthropogenic nutrient enrichment of seagrass and coral reef communities in the Lower Florida Keys: discrimination of local versus regional nitrogen sources. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 308:23?58
Sherwood OA, Lapointe BE, Risk MJ, Jamieson RE (2010) Nitrogen isotopic records of terrestrial pollution encoded in Floridian and Bahamian gorgonian corals. Environ Sci Techol 44:874?880
Ward-Paige C, Risk M, Sherwood O (2005) Reconstruction of nitrogen sources on coral reefs: d15N and d13C in gorgonians from Florida Reef Tract. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 296:155?163
Sutherland, K. P., J.W. Porter, J. W Turner, B. J. Thomas, E.E. Looney, T.P.. Luna, M. K. Meyers, J. C. Futch and E. K. Lipp. 2011. Human sewage identified as likely source of white pox disease of the threatened Caribbean elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata. Env. Microbiol. 12: 1122-1131.
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