From d.fenner at aims.gov.au Mon Jan 4 00:17:50 1999 From: d.fenner at aims.gov.au (Doug Fenner) Date: Mon, 04 Jan 1999 16:17:50 +1100 Subject: Indonesian reef condition Message-ID: <3.0.1.32.19990104161750.006d1a68@email.aims.gov.au> Coral-listers; I'd like to confirm that some Indonesian reefs are still in relatively good condition. An expedition by Conservation International to the Togean and Banggai Islands of Sulawesi, Indonesia in Oct-Nov 1998, found reefs in relatively good shape. Live corals and small fish were abundant, and there were relatively few signs of destructive fishing practices. Water temperatures were relatively high in the Togians, and some bleaching was seen (as of late Oct), but neither was present in the Banggais. Bunaken Is., near Manado, Sulawesi, was heavily bleached by mid-Nov. A press release can be seen at http://www.conservation.org/web/news/pressrel/98-1207.htm -Doug Fenner Douglas Fenner, Ph.D. Coral Taxonomist Australian Institute of Marine Science PMB No 3 Townsville MC Queensland 4810 Australia phone 07 4753 4241 e-mail: d.fenner at aims.gov.au web: http://www.aims.gov.au From glassod at popeye.cc.biu.ac.il Mon Jan 4 03:27:47 1999 From: glassod at popeye.cc.biu.ac.il (david) Date: Mon, 04 Jan 1999 10:27:47 +0200 Subject: advice Message-ID: <3.0.5.32.19990104102747.007ee500@popeye.cc.biu.ac.il> Dear coral list I am doing a project on coral recruitment to settlement plates on a budget that makes the proverbial shoestring seem lavish. I have over 200 settlement plates (unglazed ceramic tiles) in the water and aim to change them every 3 months. To save money I am considering cleaning and recycling previously used plates, rather than buying new ones each time. However I am uncertain whether reusing plates could be considered to have 'altered' the substrate, making it difficult to compare data from new and used plates. Scrubbing the plates with a hard brush seems to remove any residues, but they could be washed in a mild acid solution if necessary. any comments / advice would be appreciated. Sincerely, David Glassom Inter University Institute Eilat, Israel From scook at HBOI.edu Tue Jan 5 12:30:27 1999 From: scook at HBOI.edu (Sue Cook) Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1999 12:30:27 -0500 Subject: Reef-related short courses at HBOI Message-ID: <199901060112.BAA27763@coral.aoml.noaa.gov> Summer courses on reef-related topics at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution In 1999, several reef-related short courses will be offered by the J. Seward Johnson Marine Education Center of Harbor Branch: Biology of Sea Turtles, May 10 - May 22. Dr. Jeanette Wyneken, Florida Atlantic University,. An introduction to behavioral, ecological and evolutionary adaptations. Biology of Tropical Marine Plants, May 17 - June 8. Dr. Dennis Hanisak, HBOI. Biology of marine plants and the roles they play in tropical and sub-tropical habitats (including coral reefs). Field work in the Florida Keys. Molecular Studies of Marine Biodiversity, May 24 - June 4. Joint course with George Mason University. Dr. Jose Lopez, HBOI. Course includes 3 days at HBOI and 9 days at the Andros Field Station in the Bahamas. Laboratory and field studies of intra - and interspecific genetic variation of selected marine invertebrates. Focus on tropical mangrove and coral reef habitats in the Indian River Lagoon and Andros Island, Bahamas. Functional Biology of Invertebrates, June 9 - July 2. Dr. Clay Cook, Dr. Craig Young, HBOI. The functional, morphology, physiology, behavior, and reproduction of invertebrates, as illustrated by the marine fauna of Florida. Field work in reef environments in the Florida Keys. For a complete list of HBOI's 1999 courses, see our website (www.hboi.edu). All courses are accredited either through the Florida Institute of Technology or George Mason University. Scholarships are available for most courses and may be substantial (30-70% of course cost for well qualified students). For more information, contact Dr. Sue Cook (scook at hboi.edu) or Jill Sunderland at HBOI, 5600 US #1 North, Ft. Pierce, Florida 34946; phone (800) 333-4264, ext. 500; FAX (561) 465-5743; e-mail (education at hboi.edu). From rayb at gbrmpa.gov.au Tue Jan 5 18:14:16 1999 From: rayb at gbrmpa.gov.au (Ray Berkelmans) Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1999 09:14:16 +1000 Subject: ITMEMS Statement on Coral Bleaching Message-ID: <199901060117.BAA27789@coral.aoml.noaa.gov> International Tropical Marine Ecosystems Management Symposium (ITMEMS) Statement on Coral Bleaching ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A summit meeting on coral bleaching by world experts on coral bleaching held in Townsville on 24 November 1998 released the following statement on the status of reefs following the 1998 global coral bleaching event. Tropical sea surface temperatures in 1997/98 have been higher than at any other time in the modern record. Record SST increases over the tropics in the past 15 years are not explained by existing climate models. The coral bleaching associated with the high sea surface temperatures has affected almost all species of corals. Loss of some corals more than 1000 years old indicates the severity of this event. Associated reef invertebrates have been severely affected by unusually high sea temperatures. Global coral bleaching and die off is unprecedented in geographic extent, depth and severity, though it is highly spatially variable. The only major reef region spared from coral bleaching appears to be the Central Pacific. In some portions of the Indian Ocean, mortality is as high as 90%. Coral bleaching is a general response to environmental stress, in particular high temperature but also high irradiance, fluctuating salinities, silt or combinations of these factors. High seawater temperature may be related to global warming. According to the IPCC 1998, global temperature has significantly increased since 1860. Corals live on the upper edge of their temperature tolerance, with high temperatures directly damaging aspects of their physiology. Thus, an increase by about 2 degrees Celsius as predicted by IPCC for the next 50 years is of concern. We do not know how much of this temperature increase will affect the tropics, or whether corals can adapt to predicted temperature increases. Current projections of global warming suggest there will be increased frequency of coral bleaching and coral mortality. These events will eventually have important negative consequences for biodiversity, fisheries, tourism and shore protection provided by coral reefs. There is a need for a cross disciplinary research effort (including ecologists, climatologists, chemists, oceanographers and remote sensors) to evaluate the immediate and ultimate causes of coral bleaching, its link to climate change, and the effect of coral bleaching on the ecosystem as a whole. ITMEMS recommends that a multi-disciplinary taskforce be immediately set up to thoroughly inform the IPCC on coral reef issues prior to their next report due in 2001. From rgrigg at iniki.soest.hawaii.edu Tue Jan 5 20:54:41 1999 From: rgrigg at iniki.soest.hawaii.edu (Rick Grigg) Date: Tue, 05 Jan 1999 15:54:41 -1000 Subject: ITMEMS Statement on Coral Bleaching Message-ID: <199901061027.KAA02194@coral.aoml.noaa.gov> Dear all, Not to make light of the current status of coral reefs vis-a-vis bleaching events in 1998/99, the coral reef scientific community might at the same time contemplate the question of how coral reefs survived during warmer times in the past, such as 17-20 Pleistocene interglacials, not to mention the Cretaceous, when the world's oceans may have been many degrees celcius warmer than today. One answer might be that such changes occurred over thousands or hundreds of thousands of years allowing corals to adapt. Another might suggest that corals are more resilient or adaptable than we think. Whatever the explanation, we should not fail to consider the role of paleoclimate in the evolution and current status of corals. Rick Grigg Dept. of Oceanography University of Hawaii From glassod at popeye.cc.biu.ac.il Wed Jan 6 07:30:23 1999 From: glassod at popeye.cc.biu.ac.il (david) Date: Wed, 06 Jan 1999 14:30:23 +0200 Subject: advice Message-ID: <3.0.5.32.19990106143023.0079f6e0@popeye.cc.biu.ac.il> Dear coral list The response to my request for advice on re-using settlement plates was really helpful. For anyone else considering doing this, the general consensus seems to be that scrubbing the tiles, and possibly acid-washing them should adequately remove any residues, but there was one recommendation that i burn them with a propane torch as some pheromones might be resilient to other treatments. Thanks to all who answered. David Glassom From lesk at bio.bu.edu Wed Jan 6 07:39:18 1999 From: lesk at bio.bu.edu (Les Kaufman) Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1999 08:39:18 -0400 Subject: Rick's caution regarding corals' rocky histories Message-ID: <199901061325.IAA13537@bio.bu.edu> I for one am not so concerned about the likelihood of coral communities surviving warming spells, all else being equal. Rather, we should be very worried about the degree to which other anthropogenic impacts may compromise this resiliency. A parsimonious scenario would have reefs rebounding quickly in many places most distant from human activity, and disappearing for a good long while anywhere near people. This is not a good thing for people. Hence, the proximal concern is for people at least as much as for coral! Les Kaufman Boston University Marine Program Department of Biology Boston University 5 Cummington Street Boston, MA 02215 e-mail: lesk at bio.bu.edu phone: 617-353-5560 fax: 617-353-6340 Ex Africa semper aliquid novi. "There is always something new out of Africa." - Pliny the Elder From guillaum at cimrs1.mnhn.fr Wed Jan 6 10:12:09 1999 From: guillaum at cimrs1.mnhn.fr (Mireille Guillaume) Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1999 16:12:09 +0100 Subject: reef fish ectoparasites Message-ID: Dear collegues, During our tagging program of parrotfishes in the sourthern Red Sea (Massawa, Eritrea), we recently found some scarid species infested with large isopod ectoparasites. We would like to have these parasites identified by an expert, but do not know whom to contact. Is there anyone out there who could identify these isopods, or else, suggest me a taxonomist who would have time to have a close look at these fish parasites. Many thanks in advance for your reactions. Sincerely, Henrich Please reply to: Henrich Bruggemann Email: henrich at eol.com.er or: Mireille Guillaume Dr. Mireille GUILLAUME Curator of the Stony Coral Collection Mus?um National d'Histoire Naturelle Laboratoire de Biologie des Invert?br?s marins et Malacologie 55 rue Buffon 75005 Paris FRANCE Tel : 00 33 (0)1 40 79 30 90 Fax : 00 33 (0)1 40 79 30 89 E-mail : From pmuller at seas.marine.usf.edu Wed Jan 6 10:07:17 1999 From: pmuller at seas.marine.usf.edu (Pam Muller) Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1999 10:07:17 -0500 (EST) Subject: ITMEMS Statement on Coral Bleaching In-Reply-To: <199901061027.KAA02194@coral.aoml.noaa.gov> Message-ID: Re: reefs in warmer times in the geologic record 1. Pleistocene interglacial reefs probably didn't have to contend with a doubling of the rate of fixed nitrogen into terrestrial (and ultimately aquatic) ecosystems, sedimentation associated with deforestation and other anthropogenic changes in land use practices, the plethora of new diseases transported and mixed by ships traveling worldwide, and a 10-15% increase in biologically damaging/mutagenic UV radiation. And while they did experience somewhat higher CO2 levels, certainly not the rate and magnitude of increase that may bring Eocene-like atmospheric concentrations in the next century. 2. In Cretaceous and Eocene limestone, corals are generally quite common and diverse, but it is my understanding from the literature and field observations that corals were far less important as reef builders, especially in shelf environments, during those warmer times. They were supposedly most common in shelf margin environments where temperatures were at least more stable if not a bit cooler. 3. There are several hypotheses for the dominance of rudists as bank/platform-top builders of reefs in the Cretaceous, all providing possible insight into the 21st century prognosis for coral reefs. Higher CO2 levels shift the calcification advantage away from aragonite towards calcite (see, e.g., Chapter 2 in Birkeland's Life and Death of Coral Reefs). Steve Stanley at Johns Hopkins thinks that higher Ca/Mg ratios also favors calcite production. Many rudists produced both. Also, the more advanced organ-level physiology of the bivalve rudists may have enabled them to be more tolerant of temperature, salinity and sedimentation extremes. Some European specialists still dispute whether rudists had algal symbionts and , if they are right, "bleaching" was not an issue. E. Gili and P. Skelton have several recent papers on the rudist/coral story. 4. As for the Late Paleocene-Eocene, coralline algae (variable Mg calcite) and larger forams (low Mg calcite) tended to be the dominant shelf carbonate producers. Stan Frost contended that corals really didn't shift fully to reef-building mode until the mid Oligocene. That is consistent with global cooling/falling atmospheric CO2 levels (and falling ca/mg ratios in seawater associated with slowing rates of seafloor spreading, if I understand the Stanley hypothesis correctly). Thus, the paleo-record does provide insight, and the indication is not necessarily hopeful for the future of coral reefs. Though many coral species will probably survive and thrive - they just won't necessarily have the production potential to build reefs. The losers will likely be the reef-dependent taxa (corals and others). BUT LARGER FORAMS MAY RULE AGAIN!!! Pamela Hallock Muller Department of Marine Science University of South Florida 140 Seventh Avenue South St. Petersburg, FL 33701 USA pmuller at marine.usf.edu Phone: 727-553-1567 FAX: 727-553-1189 NOTE NEW AREA CODE!!! "Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought." - Albert Szent-Gyorgyi - From reef at bellsouth.net Wed Jan 6 12:13:52 1999 From: reef at bellsouth.net (DeeVon Quirolo) Date: Wed, 06 Jan 1999 12:13:52 -0500 Subject: Cuban coral reefs Message-ID: <369399D0.D8ECB8DD@bellsouth.net> Reef Relief now has available the results of the June 1998 Cuba Expedition by Craig Quirolo, Director of Marine Projects. Reef Relief has entered into an agreement with the Cuban Institute of Oceanography to survey the coral reefs of Cuba over a five year period. In June, 1998, Craig and DeeVon Quirolo sailed the entire length of the Archipelago de los Colorados to survey the adjacent coral reefs. These reefs, located on the northwest coast of Cuba, are known as the Arecifes los Colorados. This multi-media package includes a 62-page report containing the slide images, notes from the log of the Stormy Weather and various charts depicting the course of the expedition, as well as 7 CD ROM's containing slide images in high resolution (approximately 36 thirty-five millimeter slides were taken at each video transect site), and 5 video tapes containing 8 sixty meter transects with indexed time counts of the coral reefs surveyed. This is the first survey of these coral reefs in the past eight years, according to scientists at the Cuban Institute of Oceanography. It is now available for coral reef researchers to use unconditionally for any studies you may be interested in. Cost of complete multi-media report is $300.00 payable to Reef Relief. 62-page color report only is $75.00 7 CD ROMs of slide images only is $175.00 5 VHS tapes of video transects only is $75.00 For more information or to order the 1998 Reef Relief Cuba Expedition Report, contact Reef Relief at reef at bellsouth.com or call (305) 294-3100. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/pipermail/coral-list-old/attachments/19990106/9325420b/attachment.html From jdcarriq at faro.ens.uabc.mx Thu Jan 21 16:47:05 1999 From: jdcarriq at faro.ens.uabc.mx (Jose D. Carriquiry) Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1999 13:47:05 -0800 Subject: Sustainable Coral Farming/Harvesting? Message-ID: <1.5.4.32.19990121214705.00827548@bahia.ens.uabc.mx> Hello, I recently subscribed to this list, and realized that I probably missed a big part of the initial comments on coral farming/harvesting. Obviously that coral harvesting/farming can not only be important for Commercial trade matters, but also for the potential use of the applied techniques for restoration of damaged reefs as well as for the sustainable use of these ecosystems (while commercially exploiting) by the people that make their living from the reef. My question is, are there somewhere Coral Farms that actually harvest new recruits (not coral-branch clippings) on artificial surfaces that, apart from participating in the commercial trade of corals, they also participate in the promotion of the sustainable use of coral reefs? Visiting coral farms like these would be of great value for all those who are interested in learning and promoting the conservation and good use of these ecosystems. Do these farms exist? Is there a farm out there that any one of you would recommend visiting? or are these places "restricted access business" that do not allow visitors?. For example, although salmon farming in North America has become somewhat controversial, most salmon farmers allow visitors into their farms so they can see by themselves the pros and cons of these commercial aquacultural centers (they actually have web-sites available for letting us see what and how they do it). Your response will be greatly acknowledged Jos? Carriquiry ,,, (o o) ------------------------------oOO--(_)--OOo----------------------------- Jose Carriquiry . USA MAILING ADDRESS: Instituto de Investigaciones Oceanologicas . 1125 Loma Ave. #144-E099 Universidad Autonoma de Baja California . Coronado, CA 92118 Apdo. Postal # 453 . USA Ensenada, Baja California, c.p. 22,800 . Mexico . Tel (61) 74-46-01, ext 123 . Fax (61) 74-53-03 . http://www.ens.uabc.mx/iio/iio.htm ========================================================================= From bayu at bengkulu.wasantara.net.id Thu Jan 21 21:08:38 1999 From: bayu at bengkulu.wasantara.net.id (Bayu Ludvianto) Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1999 09:08:38 +0700 Subject: Eco-Labelling the corals trade. Any suggestions? Message-ID: <003c01be45ac$2f7d8800$b84a9fca@bayu> Dear FoC (Friend of Corals), As a non-corals specialist, I've learned a lot in the last week or so (by receiving many responses to my "cry" on sustainable coral harvesting and watching the discussion on the LIST). Since I am still in the middle of reviewing the plan, for the proposed workshop on the "Ecolabel Certification of Indonesia Marine Products", would anyone of you like to give any suggestions (in terms of issues to be covered and parties to be invited)? We have a rough idea about it, but your suggestions would be much appreciate it. Cheers>>>>>bayu -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/pipermail/coral-list-old/attachments/19990122/3994da84/attachment.html From reefmonitor at eureka.lk Fri Jan 22 00:41:59 1999 From: reefmonitor at eureka.lk (reefmonitor at eureka.lk) Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1999 10:41:59 +0500 Subject: Coral-care reference request Message-ID: <1.5.4.32.19990122054159.0098d328@eureka.lk> Tangential to the ongoing discussion, I would be grateful if anyone can recommend any good reference material giving guidance for keeping (Indian Ocean) corals in aquaria, esp. advice on hardy spp. and feeding. I had such a request from a public aquarium in this region which seems to have an unnecessarily high turnover of coral inmates so any advice would be both appreciated and live-saving. Thanks very much. -------------- Jason Rubens Regional Co-ordinator Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN) South Asia Region IOC-UNESCO/ UNEP/ IUCN 48 Vajira Road Colombo 5 Sri Lanka Tel: + 94 74 511166 Fax: + 94 1 580202 From carlson at soest.hawaii.edu Fri Jan 22 00:36:55 1999 From: carlson at soest.hawaii.edu (Bruce Carlson) Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1999 19:36:55 -1000 (HST) Subject: Coral-care reference request In-Reply-To: <1.5.4.32.19990122054159.0098d328@eureka.lk> Message-ID: Delbeek, J.C., and J. Sprung. 1997. The Reef Aquarium, Vol. 1. Ricordia Publishing, Inc., Coconut Grove, Florida. General quick guidelines: ph, calcium and alkalinity must be strictly monitored and maintained; "proper" lighting is critical; "adequate" water motion is also critical for many species. These factors are often neglected by new aquarists when in fact they should be foremost. Then there is temperature, salinity, nutrients, pathogens, predators, and a variety of other factors to track. Bruce Carlson Waikiki Aquarium On Fri, 22 Jan 1999 reefmonitor at eureka.lk wrote: > Tangential to the ongoing discussion, I would be grateful if anyone can > recommend any good reference material giving guidance for keeping (Indian > Ocean) corals in aquaria, esp. advice on hardy spp. and feeding. I had such > a request from a public aquarium in this region which seems to have an > unnecessarily high turnover of coral inmates so any advice would be both > appreciated and live-saving. Thanks very much. > > -------------- > Jason Rubens > Regional Co-ordinator > Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN) > South Asia Region > IOC-UNESCO/ UNEP/ IUCN > > 48 Vajira Road > Colombo 5 > Sri Lanka > Tel: + 94 74 511166 > Fax: + 94 1 580202 > > From John_Bruno at brown.edu Fri Jan 22 12:57:48 1999 From: John_Bruno at brown.edu (John Bruno) Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1999 12:57:48 -0500 Subject: Report from Southern Belize Message-ID: Dear Coral Listers, Below is a brief report from a recent survey of Southern Belize (January 5-12 1999) to assess the effects of last summer's coral bleaching episode and Hurricane Mitch. Hopefully this will compliment previously posted reports from the northern and central portions of Belize The team was led by Dr. Mark Bertness, from Brown University, who has been working in Southern Belize since 1982. 1) Hurricane damage: The only reefs that displayed any evidence of hurricane damage were the shallow reefs on the exposed side of the silk keys, which are about 300 m behind the crest of the barrier reef. At depths of 1 - 5 m, the disturbance was severe and there were very few living corals. The substrate was dominated by A. palmata rubble and algal cover (Turbinaria and Dictyota) was high. However, the corals (mostly Montastrea spp.) of the protected side of the silk keys appeared unaffected. We also examined four sites in the 'lagoon' at varying distance from the reef crest including Laughing Bird key and Cepio key which appeared to be unaffected by Mitch. Locals at Placencia reported that max wind speeds from Mitch were only about 40 - 50 mph in S. Belize. 2) Coral Bleaching: All summer long we received reports from locals of severe bleaching in the lagoon and expected to see alot of dead corals in January. In general A. tenuifolia and Millepora colonies were almost all dead. Because most were still in growth position and locals reported that these species bleached extensively in July and August we suspect that bleaching and not hurricane related stress was the main source of mortality. Most colonies of Diploria strigosa and clivosa, P. astreoides, Siderastrea siderea, and Mycetophyllia spp., were still totally bleached, although very few were already dead. However almost all colonies of Porites and Montastrea were healthy and we did not find any Montastrea colonies that appeared to have died in the last few weeks/months. In fact, the lagoon reefs of Southern Belize still have by far the most healthy populations of Montastrea we have seen anywhere in the Caribbean. 3) Diadema: only 2 individuals were seen! 4) Juvenile corals were also almost non-existent, even for species that often display high levels of recruitment elsewhere in the Caribbean (e.g. Agaricia agaricites and Porites astreoides). 5) Acropora spp.: We were surprised by the almost complete absence of living Acropora colonies at all five surveyed sites. Only two years ago all three species were relatively abundant. This year we did not see a single colony of prolifera, and only found 1 or 2 very small colonies of palmata and cervicornis. However, dead and overgrown skeletons of all three species, often still in growth position, were relatively abundant. This was especially true at Laughing Bird key, where the shallow forereef (1-5 m depth) was totally dominated by erect but dead palmata skeletons. We suspect that white band disease may be the culprit. 6) Gorgonians: A majority of colonies of Gorgonia ventalina appeared to be infected with the so called gorgonian pathogen. John F. Bruno Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Box G-W Brown University Providence, RI 02912 phone: 401-863-2619 lab: 401-863-2916 fax: 401-863-2166 email: John_Bruno at Brown.edu From rginsburg at rsmas.miami.edu Fri Jan 22 16:10:23 1999 From: rginsburg at rsmas.miami.edu (rginsburg at rsmas.miami.edu) Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1999 16:10:23 -0500 Subject: Pre NCRI Conference Field Trip Message-ID: <3.0.5.32.19990122161023.00866410@mail.rsmas.miami.edu> > >Pre-Conference Field Trip >Florida Coral Reefs: Ecology, Geology and Restoration > >WHAT: >Two and a half-days of field trips, presentations and discussions reviewing >the results of research on major aspects of Florida Coral Reefs presented >by leaders with decades of experience. > Ecology -Walter Jaap, Florida Marine Research Institute, Florida DEP. > Geology - Eugene Shinn, United States Geological Survey, Coastal > Geology > Robert Ginsburg, University of Miami, RSMAS > Restoration - Harold Hudson, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary > >SCHEDULE: Begins 5 PM, April 10, 1999 in Coral Gables, Florida; ends 5 PM, > April 13,1999, Bahia Mar Beach Resort, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. > >Proposed day-by-day schedule, subject to sea conditions. > >April 10 - 5-7 PM Introduction, overnight Holiday Inn, Coral Gables. >April 11 - Drive to Key Largo and spend the day in the Reef Tract, > overnight Key Largo, Ramada Inn >April 12 -All-day field trip and demonstrations, overnight, Key Largo > Ramada Inn. >April 13 -AM: Presentations, discussions, visit Pleistocene reef exposures > PM : Drive to Fort Lauderdale > >COSTS: Registration: $150.00/person if 25 participants, proportionally more >if fewer than 25. Fee includes three field lunches, guidebook, ground >transportation from Miami to Key Largo and Fort Lauderdale only. No charge >for boat use; snorkeling gear@ $8/DAY; shorty wet suit@ $6.50/day. > >Lodging: April 10 Holiday Inn, South Dixie Highway (one of three in the > area) Coral Gables, Florida $75. Single; $37.50 double. > April 11 and 12, 1999 Ramada Inn, Key Largo, Florida $89 > single: $44.00 dbl. plus 11% tax. >Meals: Only lunches on April 11, 12 and 13 are included in registration. > >LIMITATIONS: > Maximum of 25 persons; snorkeling only. > >TO APPLY: Submit information on your background, current affiliation, complete >address, phone, fax and e-mail together with a brief statement explaining >your special interest in the trip by February 15. Notification of >acceptance by 20 February,1999. > >Send Applications to Robert N. Ginsburg, University of Miami, RSMAS, 4600 >Rickenbacker, Miami,FL 33149, Fax (305) 361-4094 or 4632 or e-mail >>rginsburg at rsmas.miami.edu Robert N. Ginsburg Professor of Marine Geology Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science University of Miami 4600 Rickenbacker Cswy. Miami, FL 33149 Phone: (305) 361-4875 FAX: (305) 361-4094 or 4632 From morelock at coqui.net Sun Jan 24 06:27:21 1999 From: morelock at coqui.net (morelock) Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1999 07:27:21 -0400 Subject: coral and carbonate bibliography Message-ID: <36AB0399.3F7BF0A1@coqui.net> thanks to all who have posted references on this list. my contribution of about 3000 coral and carbonate references is posted at http://home.coqui.net/morelock go to the database section of this site and click on reference files at the bottom of the page. if anyone wants to exchange procite formatted references, contact me directly at morelock at coqui.net From nbentley at trophia.com Sun Jan 24 17:01:38 1999 From: nbentley at trophia.com (Nokome Bentley) Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 11:01:38 +1300 Subject: Sustainable "harvest" of corals????? Message-ID: <01BE4852.43A8B2C0@p1-m2-ne1.dialup.xtra.co.nz> Dear coral-list, Unfortunately, I have been unable to respond earlier to Bayu Ludvianto's original query on the exploitation of corals in Indonesia and the ensuing discussion on coral harvesting. Last year I did a review of the exploitation of corals in Indonesia for TRAFFIC (the trade-monitoring arm of the WWF and the IUCN). Some of the information collected may be of use to Bayu and the coral harvesting discussion in general. The use of corals in Indonesia can be divided into three main areas: 1. Collection for the aquarium and curio trade Prior to the early 1980s, the Philippines was the major supplier of coral to the world. However, Presidential decrees in 1977 and 1980 banning coral exports, combined with effective enforcement, resulted in a dramatic reduction of trade from that country. By the late 1980s only about half of the trade originated from the Philippines and by 1993 fewer than 500 pieces of coral were reported as exported from that country each year. Concurrent with the reduction in trade from the Philippines, exports from Indonesia rose and by the early 1990s it became the world's primary supplier of coral pieces. By 1993, Indonesia exported about 83% and 92% of the trade in raw and live corals respectively. During the mid-1990s, total Indonesian exports of corals were around 1 million pieces annually with 85% of these going to the USA and Japan. Between 1985 and 1995, 43% of exports were of live corals (eg Euphyllia, Goniopora and Catalaphyllia). There has been a trend towards an increasing proportion of live exports and by 1995, around 80% of the corals imported into the USA from Indonesia were alive. 2. Mining for lime production and construction There is widespread use of corals in small scale construction, particularly in island communities where alternative forms of material are scarce or costly. It is hard to estimate the magnitude of this harvest but it is likely to be 1000's of tons per year. More intensive, large scale mining of coral reefs is occurring in some areas. I estimated that one village collects in the vicinity of 2000t of coral for making lime each year. Anecdotal evidence suggests that this is probably the largest site for this type of collection and is unlikely to be matched elsewhere. Both live and dead corals are collected. Severe damage was done to coral reefs in Bali due to coral mining for hotel construction in the late 1970s. In one area in particular, there is now no reef or beach for the hotel customers to enjoy and retaining walls have had to be built to prevent further erosion. 3. Collection of black corals for use in jewelry Relatively small amounts of black corals. Increasingly scarce according to collectors. The impacts of coral collection for the aquarium trade and mining for construction are quite different. Mining is causing severe impacts on a wide variety of coral species in localized areas. Collection generally targets a few species and is generally more extensive. Nonetheless, collection has the potential to result in the depletion of some species of corals particularly in accessible areas prone to concentrated harvesting. All hard corals (at least the orders Scleractinia, Coenothecalia and the family Tubiporidae) are listed under CITES Appendix II. Species listed under Appendix II can be exported if the government considers that the quantities of exports are sustainable. Indonesia sets annual quotas on the number of each coral species that can be exported. Thus, in many respects Indonesia already has an eco-labelling scheme for corals since according to CITES all corals exported from there are within sustainable limits. Unfortunately, given uncertainties about the population dynamics of corals and the area of reefs in Indonesia, it is difficult to determine what the quota levels should be. It is not clear whether current Indonesian export quotas are sustainable or not. But such problems would also confront an independent eco-labelling scheme. Rather than establishing an eco-labelling scheme it may be more beneficial for those concerned about the sustainability of export coral trade in Indonesia to help strengthen the effectiveness of the current CITES export quotas. For example, more research into the status of exploited species and encouraging the authorities to take a precautionary approach to quota setting while uncertainties still exist. Some on the list have suggested an immediate ban on the trade of all wild caught corals. As others have pointed out this may well be worse for the corals than the current situation. Remove coral collection as a source of income for coastal fishing communities and they may turn to potentially more destructive activities - cyanide and dynamite fishing are two already attractive means to make ends meet. Providing fishers with a means of income that is dependent upon a healthy functioning reef is the best way to provide an incentive to preserve those reefs. Small-scale coral culture as practiced in the Solomon Islands may be a way to do this. This sort of activity could be used as an alternative income for the coral miners in Indonesia. The sustainable harvesting of coral species that cannot be cultured is another alternative. Large-scale culture of corals in developed nations and a ban on wild-caught coral exports is only likely to worsen the fate of coral reefs in Indonesia. More details are available in the following article. Email me if you would like a reprint. Bentley, N. (1998). An overview of the exploitation, trade and management of corals in Indonesia. TRAFFIC Bulletin, 17(2): 67-78. Regards, Nokome Bentley ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trophia Research and Consulting http://www.trophia.com PO Box 60 Kaikoura New Zealand Ph: + 64 3 319 6850. Fax: + 64 3 319 6850 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From rcgregor at ust.hk Sun Jan 24 22:49:24 1999 From: rcgregor at ust.hk (Gregor Hodgson) Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 11:49:24 +0800 Subject: Some Papers on Sustainable Harvest of Corals References: <01BE4852.43A8B2C0@p1-m2-ne1.dialup.xtra.co.nz> Message-ID: <36ABE9C4.29DA813F@ust.hk> M. Ross 1984. A quantitative study of the stony coral fishery in Cebu, Philippines. Mar. Ecol. 5(1):75-91 R. Grigg 1984. Resource management of precious corals: a review and application to shallow reef-building corals. Mar. Ecol. 5(1)57-74 Wells et al., 1994. Environmental Guidelines for Reef Coral Harvesting Operations. South Pacific Regional Environmental Program. PO Box 240, Apia W. Samoa. Hodgson, G. 1997. Resource use: conflicts and management solutions, Chapter 17 In: C. Birkeland (ed) Life and Death of Coral Reefs, Chapman Hall, NY. -- Gregor Hodgson, PhD Institute for Environment and Sustainable Development Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Clearwater Bay, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2358-8568 Fax (852) 2358-1582 Email: Reef Check: http://www.ust.hk/~webrc/ReefCheck/reef.html From d.fenner at aims.gov.au Sun Jan 24 23:34:05 1999 From: d.fenner at aims.gov.au (Doug Fenner) Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 15:34:05 +1100 Subject: references on web Message-ID: <3.0.1.32.19990125153405.00735f10@email.aims.gov.au> Coralisters, Just thought I'd point out that people in locations that do not have access to a large library can now access much of the recent coral reef literature if they have internet access. There are now several large bibliographies that can be accessed on the web. After you find a reference you can't get at a local library, you look up the author's address in the reef researcher's directory on the CHAMP web site, and send an e-mail or postcard requesting a reprint. (if you have a library, the library is still faster) This could be a major help to researchers and grad students in many parts of the world. Many thanks to those who put these lists on the web! -Doug coral related literature: http://www.ogp.noaa.gov/misc/coral/coralit.html coral & carbonate references: http://home.coqui.net/morelock/datareferences.htm ReefBase: http://www.cgiar.org/iclarm/resprg/reefbase additional reference lists (CHAMP abstracts home page): http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/bib/lit.abstracts.html coral reef researcher's directory (CHAMP site): http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/lists/directory.html Douglas Fenner, Ph.D. Coral Taxonomist Australian Institute of Marine Science PMB No 3 Townsville MC Queensland 4810 Australia phone 07 4753 4241 e-mail: d.fenner at aims.gov.au web: http://www.aims.gov.au From dafnaz at post.tau.ac.il Mon Jan 25 10:29:17 1999 From: dafnaz at post.tau.ac.il (Dafna Zeevi) Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 17:29:17 +0200 Subject: Prof Freitag, Munster University,Germany Message-ID: <3.0.5.32.19990125172917.007b8aa0@post.tau.ac.il> Dear coral listers, I'm trying to find the email of Prof. Freitag, J.F. from the University of Munster, Germany. Please be kind to send me the email if any of you have it by any chsnce. Much obliged, Dafna Zeevi. From rglilley at cbn.net.id Mon Jan 25 10:37:35 1999 From: rglilley at cbn.net.id (RG Lilley) Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 22:37:35 +0700 Subject: Indonesian coral trade Message-ID: <199901251543.KAA26847@coral.aoml.noaa.gov> ---------- > From: RG Lilley > To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov > Subject: Indonesian coral trade > Date: Jumat, 22 Januari, 1999 17:30 > > > The Indonesian Scientific Authority for CITES just recommended a collection > quota of over one million pieces of corals for this year (1999). It is > slightly more that last year's quota. I am sure that will make the traders > happy, bearing in mind that for every one million pieces exported, perhaps > as much as ten times that amount is extracted from the reefs (we are still > talking about live corals for the aquarium trade) and dies before it is > exported, because of bad handling. > > Catalaphyllia jardinei, the species which I heard is banned from entering > the UK this year, has been given an export quota of 75,000 pieces for this > year, by the Indonesian authorities. The guidelines for the coral trade > were prepared last year, with the hope that this document will somehow slow > down the rate of corals coming out from Indonesia. But it seems that the > guidelines have not been implemented by the authorities. The guidelines > were prepared using a participatory approach, and were agreed to be > implemented by the major stakeholders. The traders were the ones who were > very enthusiastic and willing to give the guidelines a try. But, I guess, > business is business. > > There are strong arguments among the decision makers that Indonesia needs > more and more cash, especially during this economic crisis. Yes, > eco-labelling as a market force is a good idea, but who will enforce the > principles within this country?. Oh well, I am too pessimistic. But, I am > here, trying to convince and motivate people to care and take > responsibility for their environment. And it seems that I am bashing my > head against a brick wall. There are intentions to try coral farming, but > will they be economically viable? If the authorities are still willing to > allow the export of corals collected from the wild, why should anybody want > to invest in coral farming? Clearly there are no incentives (rather like > tree planting). However, even a total trade ban would not address the real > problem here ? destruction of the reefs by coral miners, bombers, cyanide, > and so on. > > Gayatri Lilley > Jl. Pinang II Kav 11 > Jakarta 12450, Indonesia > > e-mail : rglilley at cbn.net.id > From jcin5062 at postoffice.uri.edu Mon Jan 25 14:06:52 1999 From: jcin5062 at postoffice.uri.edu (Joshua Cinner) Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 14:06:52 -0500 Subject: poverty and gear types in coral reef fisheries Message-ID: <4.0.2.19990125132130.0092e320@postoffice.uri.edu> Dear coral-listers I would like to get some feedback,suggestions, and possibly some new directions from this multi-disciplinary body regarding my master's thesis. As a Peace Corps Volunteer in Jamaica, I observed what I believe to be a connection between the relative wealth of fishers and the type of gear they used. It appeared as though the gear types which seem to be more malignant to the coral reef were utilized by fishers of lower wealth and social status. (I am assuming that some gear types, such as line fishing, are more benign while others, such as blast fishing, are more malignant toward the reef). I am interested in pursuing this idea as my masters thesis which I am currently beginning here at the Marine Affairs Faculty of the University of Rhode Island. My initial idea is to examine the different measures of wealth for the study site (as income is often an inappropriate measure of status and wealth- for example; one study expressed that the ability to travel, especially abroad, was the ultimate measure of wealth for a specific community in Jamaica). I then plan to explore the gear types employed by fishers and their relative effects on coral reefs. I am planning to establish a linkage between wealth and gear types by using a discrete choice analysis (maybe probit or logit), but WELCOME ANY OTHER IDEAS. Here is where I could really use some suggestions however- seeing as I want to make a direct link between coral reef conditions and poverty, would it be practical to do my own research on the reefs themselves (probably just manta tows or other really basic surveys is all I was really thinking) or should I just focus on the measures of wealth, gear types, and linking them, relying on background information from other studies to suggest that gear types have different effects on reefs? I have (It seems) obtained some funding to conduct my research over the summer in Mexico. Can anyone recommend a site (or preferably several) in Mexico that would have a high diversity of coral reef fishing practices? I would also appreciate suggestions of particularly interesting studies on measures of wealth, and gear types and impacts (especially if it is in Mex). I sincerely appreciate feedback, so please let me know what you think of my ideas, give me suggestions, comments, criticisms, whatever. Respectfully, Joshua Cinner 2550 Kingstown Rd. Kingston, RI 02881 (401) 783-6719 jcin5062 at postoffice.uri.edu From jcin5062 at postoffice.uri.edu Mon Jan 25 18:14:09 1999 From: jcin5062 at postoffice.uri.edu (Joshua Cinner) Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 18:14:09 -0500 Subject: poverty and reefs Message-ID: <4.0.2.19990125174016.00931100@postoffice.uri.edu> We're seeing problems with overfishing using spears. This is a "selective" method and elliminates the larger preditors. Large preditors are also morereproductive. This practice has resulted in an increase in populations of fish which damage the reef (farmers like Damsels and blueheads). Personally I have observed expensive spears used by all classes and this preferred recreational fishing method may be more an expression of individual machismo than an expression of a desire to sport fish. I've seen small trunk fish and sea fans targeted and I have seen spears used in areas where there clearly are more spear fishermen than fish worthy of spearing. I for one would be interested in seeing an emperical study of what motivates this behavior. Mary Ann Lucking corals at caribe.net Mary Anne and others, In the marine park I was working for in Montego Bay, spearfishing was banned for just that reason. However, it seemed that the spearfishers are considered the lowest on the totem pole, most of the spearfishers were otherwise "unemployable" in the formal job market- i.e. just got out of jail, lacked an education, or were from the wrong district and people wouldn't hire them. Without alternatives, the incidence of these regulations beared heavily upon them and they were reluctant to comply. Conflicts were commonplace among our poor rangers, often involving death threats. Your claim that overfishing of certain species is degrading reefs seems to be supported by much of the literature I have read, should I also be looking into whether certain incomes or gear types target such keystone species and are "indirectly" responsible for reef degradation? Respectfully, Joshua Cinner 2550 Kingstown Rd. Kingston, RI 02881 (401) 783-6719 jcin5062 at postoffice.uri.edu From Hoeksema at naturalis.nnm.nl Tue Jan 26 03:46:54 1999 From: Hoeksema at naturalis.nnm.nl (Hoeksema, B.W.) Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1999 09:46:54 +0100 Subject: Coral trade quota Message-ID: Dear Coral-listers, Re: the information given by Gayatri Lilley, Having checked corals collected for trade in Indonesia before export and those that have arrived at Schiphol international airport for import by the aquarium industry, I realized how clever professional coral collectors are in finding corals with much "fleshy" tissue that usually dwell at greater depths (20-30 m), such as those belonging to Catalaphyllia jardinae. In their natural environment these corals do not reach very high population densities. These corals usually live as large calices semi-burried in the sandy bottom underneath reef slopes. They are not colonies which can easily be chopped into pieces. I would be surprised if annual quota such as 75,000 ever can be reached. To me it seems to be a hypothetical number to maintain a regulation that only exists on paper. If I am wrong, I would be even less amused. Bert Dr. Bert W. Hoeksema Co-ordinator Sea Research (Fauna Malesiana Marina) National Museum of Natural History Naturalis P.O. Box 9517 2300 RA Leiden The Netherlands Tel.: +31.71.5687631 Fax: +31.71.5687666 E-mail: Hoeksema at Naturalis.NNM.nl > -----Oorspronkelijk bericht----- > Van: RG Lilley [SMTP:rglilley at cbn.net.id] > Verzonden: maandag 25 januari 1999 16:38 > Aan: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov > Onderwerp: Re: Indonesian coral trade > > > > ---------- > > From: RG Lilley > > To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov > > Subject: Indonesian coral trade > > Date: Jumat, 22 Januari, 1999 17:30 > > > > > > The Indonesian Scientific Authority for CITES just recommended a > collection > > quota of over one million pieces of corals for this year (1999). It is > > slightly more that last year's quota. I am sure that will make the > traders > > happy, bearing in mind that for every one million pieces exported, > perhaps > > as much as ten times that amount is extracted from the reefs (we are > still > > talking about live corals for the aquarium trade) and dies before it is > > exported, because of bad handling. > > > > Catalaphyllia jardinei, the species which I heard is banned from > entering > > the UK this year, has been given an export quota of 75,000 pieces for > this > > year, by the Indonesian authorities. The guidelines for the coral trade > > were prepared last year, with the hope that this document will somehow > slow > > down the rate of corals coming out from Indonesia. But it seems that the > > guidelines have not been implemented by the authorities. The guidelines > > were prepared using a participatory approach, and were agreed to be > > implemented by the major stakeholders. The traders were the ones who > were > > > very enthusiastic and willing to give the guidelines a try. But, I > guess, > > business is business. > > > > There are strong arguments among the decision makers that Indonesia > needs > > more and more cash, especially during this economic crisis. Yes, > > eco-labelling as a market force is a good idea, but who will enforce the > > principles within this country?. Oh well, I am too pessimistic. But, I > am > > here, trying to convince and motivate people to care and take > > responsibility for their environment. And it seems that I am bashing my > > head against a brick wall. There are intentions to try coral farming, > but > > will they be economically viable? If the authorities are still willing > to > > allow the export of corals collected from the wild, why should anybody > want > > to invest in coral farming? Clearly there are no incentives (rather > like > > tree planting). However, even a total trade ban would not address the > real > > problem here - destruction of the reefs by coral miners, bombers, > cyanide, > > and so on. > > > > Gayatri Lilley > > Jl. Pinang II Kav 11 > > Jakarta 12450, Indonesia > > > > e-mail : rglilley at cbn.net.id > > From fpl10 at calva.net Wed Jan 27 16:24:02 1999 From: fpl10 at calva.net (Fabrice POIRAUD-LAMBERT) Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1999 22:24:02 +0100 (MET) Subject: Coral Reef rebuilding Message-ID: Hi All, We often hear about Bleaching, and coral sickness, and as a result, many coral reefs are dying or already dead. By being a Reef Aquarist, meaning that I own and raise coral (about 60 species, 80% stony small polyped corals) in my tank at home, in the middle of a big town, I produce (not on purpose !) many many fragments that I give to friends or people asking for it. As we are now able to raise corals (about 1 to 2 cm per month for Acropora sp for example) even without having space and money, is it crazy to think that we could set up special farms, near coral reefs, with the double purpose of : raising frags to earn money, and then use this money to rebuild coral reefs by reintroducing corals. I have heard some things about ideas like this, but it sounds to be very rare. Are there laws against this ? Do Scientists study this possibility ? What are the cons & pros ? Thanks for your replies Best Regards Fabrice POIRAUD-LAMBERT France - Paris From Kamla.Moothienpillay at jcu.edu.au Wed Jan 27 17:41:42 1999 From: Kamla.Moothienpillay at jcu.edu.au (Ruby Moothien Pillay) Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 08:41:42 +1000 Subject: Coral Reef rebuilding References: Message-ID: <36AF9625.21FD5358@jcu.edu.au> Hi Fabrice Pr. Jean Jaubert, director of l'Observatoire Oceanologique Europeen de Monaco, has looked at the possibility of culturing various species of corals in aquaria. Please refer to: Jaubert, J., Marchioretti,M., Ounais,N., Gilles,P., Priouzeau,F and E.Tambutte (1996):Potential use of cultured Coral Transplants in Aquarium Stocking and Reef Restoration, 4th Interantional Aquariology Congress, Tokyo. From Kamla.Moothienpillay at jcu.edu.au Wed Jan 27 17:44:25 1999 From: Kamla.Moothienpillay at jcu.edu.au (Ruby Moothien Pillay) Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 08:44:25 +1000 Subject: Coral Reef rebuilding References: Message-ID: <36AF96C8.A89A161A@jcu.edu.au> Hi Fabrice Professeur Jean Jaubert, director of l'observatoire Oceanographique European De Monaco has cultured various species of corals in aquaria and this invention is now commercialised bu the potential use of cultured coral transplants in aquarium stocking From gannet at cftnet.com Thu Jan 28 20:56:07 1999 From: gannet at cftnet.com (Dave) Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 20:56:07 -0500 Subject: Coral Reef rebuilding In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <199901290155.UAA11986@renoir.cftnet.com> > As we are now able to raise corals (about 1 to 2 cm per month for Acropora > sp for example) even without having space and money, is it crazy to think > that we could set up special farms, near coral reefs, with the double > purpose of : raising frags to earn money, and then use this money to > rebuild coral reefs by reintroducing corals. This is being done now in the Solomon Islands. Solutions like this that involve the local population and generate income for their communities are, in my opinion, one of the best ways to ensure survival of reefs. When local people have a sense of "ownership" of the reefs, and see the health and survival of the reefs as essential to their own well-being, then they will be proactive in protecting them. Without this, any developer waving money will be given free rein - and we all know where that leads. There are also a number of commercial coral aquaculture operations in the United States. This is exciting and laudable, and shows how far we have come in understanding the husbandry needs of corals. I would point out, in passing, that the vast majority of the knowledge needed to accomplish this was gathered by amateur reef aquarists, not professionals. But, I think it would be even better if we could encourage these operations in the countries bordering the natural reefs, for the reasons stated above. From coral at aoml.noaa.gov Fri Jan 29 08:10:29 1999 From: coral at aoml.noaa.gov (Coral Workstation at NOAA/AOML) Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1999 08:10:29 -0500 (EST) Subject: NSF funded projects Message-ID: <199901291347.NAA08194@coral.aoml.noaa.gov> Greetings, We have placed two documents given to us by Phillip R. Taylor (Director, Biological Oceanography Program, Division of Ocean Sciences, NSF) on the CHAMP Page (www.coral.noaa.gov), under Bulletins. They are: "Coral Reef Projects for 1997," and "Coral Reef Projects for 1998" which describe coral reef related projects funded by the National Science Foundation. Please note that these are PDF documents, which require Adobe Acrobat to read. Take care... From ckievman at turbo.kean.edu Fri Jan 29 13:17:25 1999 From: ckievman at turbo.kean.edu (KIEVMAN) Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1999 13:17:25 -0500 (EST) Subject: Coral Reef Research Scholarship & Field Course In-Reply-To: <199901291347.NAA08194@coral.aoml.noaa.gov> Message-ID: Please announce these opportunities to your students or post this message. Poster and application materials can be requested from: CoralReef at turbo.kean.edu I. Coral Reef Field Course in the Cayman Islands II. Marine Environmental Research Institute's Scholarship for Coral Reef Research I. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE'S (MERI) CORAL REEF FIELD COURSE IN THE CAYMAN ISLANDS The Marine Environmental Research Institute offers undergraduate and graduate field courses to introduce a variety of topics on coral reef environments. Topics include an introduction to coral reef systems, coral reef evolution and succession, and natural and anthropogenic impacts on reef ecosystems. Students have opportunities to become involved in small, short-term field research projects related to the coral reef system. Field course will take place in the Cayman Islands, during the last week of June 1999 and provide graduate (4 or 6 credits) or undergraduate credit (6 credits) through Kean University (a state university of New Jersey), Department of Geology and Meteorology. Students are accepted in the course without regard to race or gender. For additional information visit our web site: http: //turbo.kean.edu/~meri/course1.html +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ II. MERI SCHOLARSHIP FOR CORAL REEF RESEARCH MERI Scholarship: One scholarship in the amount of $2500.00 will be awarded for the 1999 field course. The scholarship will pay for the expenses related to field research on coral reefs in the Cayman Islands and assist in the cost of college credit offered through Kean University, Department of Geology and Meteorology. Who: Female undergraduate and graduate students who are science majors are invited to apply. Students with a biological or geological background are encouraged to apply. Objective: To introduce college students to the coral reef system by involving them in field course and research opportunities. Application Deadline: Received by March 15, 1999. Application Requirements: Transcripts, application form, resume, 2 letters of recommendation (preferably from your professors). Submit to: Dr. Carrie M. Kievman, Marine Environmental Research Institute - Coral Reef Scholarship Committee, Kean University, Department of Geology and Meteorology, 1000 Morris Ave, Union, NJ 07083 Email: CoralReef at turbo.kean.edu Visit our Website: http://turbo.kean.edu/~meri/Welcome.html