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

[Mbije Nsajigwa]

This is great.

Mbije

On Fri, 22 Mar 2024, 00:32 International Coral Reef Observatory via
Coral-List, <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> wrote:

> 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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> Twitter / Instagram / Youtube ICR_Observatory
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