[Coral-List] Testing the appetite for dive tourism to conserve coral reefs

[Steve Mussman]

Hi Judi,

I have always believed that dive tourism has the potential to make substantial	contributions to coral reef conservation. To a limited extent it has already has, although like the interface between science and civil society, there remains a wide and somewhat cynical divide between some of the core beliefs of the coral science community and the dive industry’s signature conservation initiatives. While it is certainly encouraging to see dive tourism involved in mitigation of local stressors, I would suggest that in order for the dive industry to make a truly significant impact on coral reef conservation they must be willing to address global threats as well. This may sound harsh, but in the end what’s the point of advocating for MPAs and coral reef restoration projects if you are unwilling to link those efforts to the broader need for action on climate change?  From my perspective coral conservation efforts that ignore the greater global threat can actually prove counter-productive in that they can reinforce the false narrative that coral reef conservation can have lasting success without addressing climate change. Rather than put your research in a drawer and walk away, I would suggest that a primary focus of the coral science community should be to continue to search for ways to more effectively project science-based knowledge and understanding into the frequently irrational domain of public (dive industry included) discourse. The scuba diving industry is full of people who care deeply and are more than willing to contribute to conservation in meaningful ways, so rather than rule them out, let’s find ways to free them from the restraints brought on by their industry’s reluctance to fully embrace the broader scientific consensus.

Regards,
Steve Mussman


Sent from my iPad

> On Mar 9, 2020, at 8:20 AM, Judi Lowe via Coral-List <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> wrote:
> 
> My question is this. Before I put this research in a drawer and walk away,
> what level of interest is there in the real world in how we can use dive
> tourism to contribute to conservation and decrease destructive fishing in
> our MPAs and beyond?