Could bombing benefit Vieques reefs?

Craig Lilyestrom craig at caribe.net
Thu Dec 2 06:29:03 EST 1999


Edwin -

>Residents of Vieques Island also suffer a 26% incidence of cancer, which is
>way higher than the average for the main island of Puerto Rico. This means
>that almost one of every three viequenses will die from cancer!!!!!  Can
>anybody has an explanation for that?

	Sorry I don't have an explanation.  I understand that studies are
being done at this time to try to determine the cause or causes of this
tragic phenomenon.  However, in truth there is a difference between being
diagnosed with cancer and dying from it.  Not all cancers are terminal, if
treated in time.  Also, in the absence of hard data on the causes, it would
be fair to say that it is premature to suggest any link to any particular
cause.  At this point, one could easily come up with a list of plausible
hypotheses, INCLUDING military activities.  I know this has little to do
with corals...  Not defending the Navy -- just the scientific method and
objectivity.

	Saludos,

--Craig

*******************************************
Craig G. Lilyestrom, Ph.D.
Chief, Marine Resources Division
Dept. of Natural & Environmental Resources
P.O. Box 9066600
San Juan, P.R. 00906-6600
(787) 724-8772 ext. 4042
(787) 723-2805 (FAX)
craig at caribe.net
*******************************************


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
sponsors coral-list and the Coral Health and Monitoring Program
(CHAMP, http://www.coral.noaa.gov).  Please visit the Web site
for instructions on subscribing and unsubscribing to coral-list.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



More information about the Coral-list-old mailing list