[Coral-List] The Spread of SCTLD

[Steve Mussman]

I would like to offer a partial retraction to some of the previous comments I made relating to the potential for recreational scuba divers to be vectors for SCTLD.

Thanks go out to Doug Fenner for providing me with a number of scholarly papers (below) linking recreational scuba divers to reef damage and the prevalence of coral diseases. In light of these findings one could conclude that it is reasonable and perhaps even prudent to consider implementing some level of restrictions on divers in an attempt to limit the spread of (some) coral diseases. However, I would also point out that there are even a greater number of credible scientific papers on the potential for bilge and ballast water from boats and ships to serve similarly as coral disease vectors - but as far as I know, no limitations or restrictions are being put in place to limit the potential impacts from these alternate sources.

This further bleeds over into a related discussion on the fallacies underlying the concept of “sustainable tourism”. I would simply assert that the failures attributed to “sustainable dive tourism” are actually the result of the fact that the current level of regulations commonly implemented do not rise to the level necessary to actually provide protection for coral reefs. I can envision “true sustainable dive tourism”, but the bottom line is that the dive tourism industry (in its current manifestation) is highly unlikely to voluntarily agree to implement and adhere to the standards that would be necessary to truly change the paradigm.

Scuba diving damage and intensity of tourist activities increases coral disease prevalence. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006320714002730?via%3Dihub#preview-section-abstract

Close encounters of the worst kind: reforms needed to curb coral reef damage by recreational divers. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00338-021-02153-3

Recreational Diving Impacts on Coral Reefs and the Adoption of Environmentally Responsible Practices within the SCUBA Diving Industry. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00267-016-0696-0

Using Coral Disease Prevalence to Assess the Effects of Concentrating Tourism Activities on Offshore Reefs in a Tropical Marine Park. https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2011.01724.x

Regards,

Steve Mussman