[Coral-List] *How do we prudently guide a smart "Blue Economy"?*

[International Coral Reef Observatory]

Dear All,

A new field of knowledge and practice for young coral reef researchers!!
This message is to contribute to the recent question on the list about *How
do we prudently guide innovators, businesses, investors, decision makers,
governments, etc. to pursue a smart "Blue Economy"?*"  — one that makes
sense biologically, socially, and economically.

We should have the coral reef conservation objectives clear, updated
transdisciplinary research, and the proper economic valuation of life
(Including Humans) in a healthy coral reef.  How much does it cost to
create and keep life? Trillion dollars to value a coral reef area will keep
the doctors (that support unsustainable development) away. Yes, because if
the developers know that it is not cheap to keep polluting and destroying
coral reefs and that there will be a governmental fine that they can not
pay, and the stronger local communities will request politicians to act
according to law, then developers will look for other alternatives.

The ICRS and ICRI should write the guidelines for code of conduct and
ethics for scientists, governments and enterprises. Nowadays, it is a
business to hire restoration practitioners for less than a million of
dollars to justify a permissive EIA and allow any coral reef degradation.
Academia is getting funds also from that "Blue Economy". Well, the money
should be to save coral reefs, not helping the destruction continue.

Keeping that in mind, we all know that it is scientifically correct to
avoid more pollution and direct destruction of coral reefs. Therefore, we
should stop any unsustainable development that will produce
environmental impact to coral reefs.

The Blue Economy should evolve as it is possible, with advanced technology,
activities on innovative alternatives that will not produce pollution or
destruction of coral reefs. That is why we only should look for the
environmentally sound ones very far from coral reefs. It is not more
acceptable that fake promises to save coral reefs with restoration projects
keep continuing the support the let us call instead of "Blue" "the Dirty
Economy" the one that 100% sure will continue with business as usual
destroying the remainings of coral reefs, if scientists continue being part
of the business biasing their knowledge by getting profit.

Maritime industries should have alternatives in other places far from coral
reefs and with the best technologies that will not pollute water, eco
friendly tourism. It is not possible to encourage massive tourism in huge
vessels to navigate close to coral reefs, swage water going direct to coral
reefs, and enlarge ports and channels close to coral reefs and the other
threats related to unsustainable development.

The scientific community should be strong on this, supporting each other
with case studies that have shown the results of allowing the megaprojects
to keep growing on coral reef areas. Avoiding to only point out to Climate
Change (It is real and another effect of Pollution) to blame degradation of
coral reefs, when we all know for examples that a dynamite explosion to
enlarge a channel will destroy corals in seconds, that sewage, fertilizers
and pesticides keep producing diseases and high macroalgae cover, that the
operation of a cruise to navigate close to a coral reef and reach a nearby
port produce pollution to clean swimming pools and toilets, turbidity and
sedimentation.

It is time to think about high and low tech. High technologies, not only in
our labs waiting for the evolution of corals to survive all sources of
pollution and destruction, we need to work with experts from other
disciplines, with technicians to provide energy alternatives, even closed
systems to avoid pollution direct to the seawater and air, and other
virtual tourism on healthy coral reefs to allow natural recovery.  We as
humans need to evolve with environmentally friendly behaviors to a new form
of life that is less destructive with nature perhaps going back to LOW
TECH, walking and biking more. Otherwise intensive experiments of
restoration in the same area where the development is allowed will not
leave any success surpassing the carrying capacity of coral reefs affecting
their potential resilience and serving as case studies for the Science of
Loss in Biodiversity and Life.

Nohora Galvis
International Coral Reef Observatory, ICRO
Former ICRS World Reef Award
UN DOALOS Expert on Coral Reef Cumulative effects
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