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

[Contessa Ricci]

Second Mbije 👏🏽

On Sat, Mar 23, 2024 at 3:14 PM Mbije Nsajigwa via Coral-List <
coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> wrote:

> 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
> > Facebook ICRObservatory
> > Twitter / Instagram / Youtube ICR_Observatory
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