The Trouble with our Ocean

[Alan E Strong]

I have to take issue with the last comments in this
"thread"....

Peter is "correct" as long as there IS a structure...but once
the dead reef gets reduced to rubble (possibly the next
tropical storm) there will be very few fish that will
continue to take refuge in the area = another "lost" tourist
dollar.

Next the beach will become dramatically altered because the
reef no longer stands offshore to protect it from the ocean's
swell...

Regards,
Al Strong

Peter Burnside wrote:

>  "From an economic standpoint, I'm not sure that a
> live reef is worth much more than a dead one.  Most
> first time snorkelers...(the majority of the market)do
> not know the difference.  They see a few fish, they
> lie in the sun.  It's just another day at the beach."
> -Journalist Joel Simon, author of "Endangered Mexico:
> An Environment on the Edge" after visiting Cancun.
>
> Thats the problem with reef ecotourism economics--for
> those whose sole motivation for protecting reefs is
> tourism dollars, it doesn't really matter how healthy
> the reef is as long as the dollars keep coming.
> Solutions anyone?
>
> Peter Burnside
>
> 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 s@@
> >
> > 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 s@@
> >
> > I agree completely -- "the planet is in deep s@@."
> >
> > And I'm convinced the planet is in deep s@@ because
> we humans can
> adapt to
> > anything --INCLUDING s@@.
> >
> > 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
>
> =====
> }<))))))o>  }<))))))o>  }<))))))o>  }<))))))o>
>
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