The Trouble with our Ocean

[deevon]

Dear Ursula--I sympathize with you but would point out that in the Florida
Keys, the water turned green and we still have those who would deny that there
is a problem.  Sure the nutrients can't be traced to the reef--its in the green
water...and the algal blooms.....etc. .     Regards, DeeVon Quirolo, Ex.
Director,  Reef Relief

Ursula Keuper-Bennett wrote:

> Dear Coral Types,
>
> I've been following the debate about the demise of coral reefs with great
> interest.
>
> As recreational divers who have adopted a coral reef, we care very much
> about the health of "ours".  This reef is also home to a group of Hawaiian
> green sea turtles we love and that makes our interest even more intense.
>
> Right now coral researchers can discuss/debate all sorts of issues that
> affect coral reefs --global warming, sedimentation, pollution, run-off,
> over-fishing, coral predation, El Nino, bleaching, faunal/floral changes,
> thermal events, coral mortality events, algae blooms, this model and that
> model --but ultimately there's a problem.
>
> And Tim Ecott spelled it out nicely.
>
> He wrote:
>
> >Given that it is reasonably easy, in layman's terms, to convince the
> >'general public' that the sea is an essential component of our fragile
> >biosphere, then there seems only one useful end to the debate about coral
> >mortality - that the planet is in deep shit.
>
> Drawing from our own experience diving in West Maui, Hawaii, it is VERY
> difficult to convince the "general public" that our section of ocean is in
> trouble, let alone get action.  And we ARE in trouble.
>
> We've had repeated algae blooms:
>
> 1991  <http://www.turtles.org/head91.jpg>
>
> and here from just this summer:
>
> <http://www.turtles.org/cladophora000712am2.jpg>
>
> On strong current days we have to pick algae slime off our favourite corals
> to make sure they don't smother:
>
> <http://www.turtles.org/cladophoracoralpab000731am4.jpg>
>
> The vast majority of the sea turtles we know have tumours.
>
> <http://www.turtles.org/98-50in99.jpg>
>
> Most corals to our northern perimeter are just green lumps, with seaweed
> growing on them, killed in the '89 bloom.
>
> But here's the REAL problem.
>
> No matter how many turtles sicken,
>
> <http://www.turtles.org/ukbvideos2000108000711am.jpg>
>
> no matter how much seaweed-stink lines our beach attracting white flies,
>
> <http://www.turtles.org/98-50in99.jpg>
>
> no matter who SLIMY the water is to swim in (that's my husband and his fins
> right side there, and yes, we dive in this stuff)
>
> <http://www.turtles.org/pabcladophora000714am.jpg>
>
> the "general public" lounging on the beach or enjoying a tour on a
> catamaran, will look around and see only BLUE OCEAN --and be lulled into
> thinking that nothing is wrong.
>
> That ocean BETRAYS us --it stays blue no matter WHAT is happening under the
> water.
>
> Even in 1991 when I was armpit deep in Cladophora one day.
>
> <<http://www.turtles.org/asp00900.jpg>>
>
> And there were rafts of Hypnea on the surface.
>
> <http://www.turtles.org/raft91.jpg>
>
> to anyone else looking seaward that day, guess what?
>
> That ocean was BLUE.  It was business as usual.
>
> And back then I was silly enough to think that all that blight would harm
> tourism in our area --that people would not come back because of the slime
> and the stink.  But I was wrong.  Last summer (almost ten years later)
> tourists now PLAY with the seaweed, tossing it to each other.  They lie on
> the lounge chairs --a bit away from the white flies mind you --but still
> catch rays among the weed and the flies.
>
> Tim Ecott wrote:
>
> >We journalists are certainly 'simplistic'. It is a simple issue. The reefs
> >are dying and most of the world doesn't know about it - let alone care.
>
> He's right.  So long's the ocean's blue on top, people really don't care
> WHAT'S been swept under the "carpet"!
>
> And calling back Tim's comment from before:
>
> >Given that it is reasonably easy, in layman's terms, to convince the
> >'general public' that the sea is an essential component of our fragile
> >biosphere, then there seems only one useful end to the debate about coral
> >mortality - that the planet is in deep shit.
>
> I agree completely -- "the planet is in deep shit."
>
> And I'm convinced the planet is in deep shit because we humans can adapt to
> anything --INCLUDING shit.
>
> So long's that ocean's BLUE!
>
> Ursula Keuper-Bennett
> TURTLE TRAX
>
> P.S.  This does not mean we've given up!
>
> <http://www.turtles.org/zeusinflight000803amresampld.jpg>
> -----------------------------------------
>                ^               Ursula Keuper-Bennett
>               0 0              mailto: howzit at turtles.org
>      /V^\            /^V\
>    /V     Turtle Trax    V\    http://www.turtles.org
>   /                        \
>
> "A promise is a promise, Lt. Dan."
>
>            \       /      -- Forrest Gump
>            /  \ /  \
>           /__| V |__\
>         malama na honu
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