[Coral-List] divers and coral reefs

[Eugene Shinn]

I have always appreciated Alina's frankness even when we disagreed.  She 
is not one of those silly overly emotional environmentalists who know 
little about the science surrounding coral reefs but nevertheless often 
clutter up the coral list. I can not prove it but I disagree with 
Alina's analysis of the Hog Fish/Diadema situation. I disagree mainly 
because I was diving and spear-fishing in the Florida Keys long before 
she came on the scene. In the 1950s I knew every spear-fisherman in the 
Keys and Miami area. We all sold our fish to the same markets and 
restaurants. We also competed against each other in the numerous 
spearfishing contests back when the sport was just catching on. The 
contests were, believe it or not, sponsored by the Amateur Athletic 
Union which is over 100 years old and still exists today. (google it) I 
will admit we were not supposed to sell our fish, but we all did. I can 
say with certainty few of us fished the middle keys because the Hog Fish 
there were less in number and smaller in size. They had not been speared 
out. The conditions they favor, such as abundant Sea Grass, was lacking 
there then as is the situation today. I can only attest to those fish 
not having the purple spots around their mouth made by Diadema.

      I also find the number of divers being blamed for reef decline on 
the coral-list interesting. Many moons ago I wrote (I believe it was a 
letter to the editor) that it was the Sanctuary that was attracting all 
the sport divers to the Florida Keys. Those old enough will remember the 
giant billboard on the right hand side of US 1 just south of Homestead. 
It featured the underwater Christ statue. I wish I had a dollar for all 
the times a boat would come over to my boat and ask, "Where is that 
Christ statue?" I knew many of the rangers...they had all had the same 
experience. That statue put the Sanctuary (remember it is under the dept 
of Commerce) in a peculiar situation. Remember that in the US we still 
have separation of Church and State. That religious statue was not 
supposed to be on Federal Property. It is there because it was placed at 
Key Largo Dry Rocks before the Sanctuary existed. I knew most of the 
divers that put it there. The ashes of at least two of those divers are 
also there. Today the Feds just ignore it and prohibit anyone from 
cleaning off  all the fire coral and other grunge growing on it. 
Nevertheless on any good day there will be half a dozen commercial dive 
boats anchored around it. Getting old is not much fun but the benefit of 
watching how people and ideas have changed almost makes up for it. Gene