[Coral-List] Coral-List Digest, Vol 34, Issue 20

Curtis Kruer kruer at 3rivers.net
Sun Apr 30 22:33:18 EDT 2006


Well put Dr. Goreau. Various adverse impacts to coral reefs and neighboring marine habitats have 
been well known for decades - yet they continue.

C. Kruer




Thomas Goreau wrote:
> A brief note in clarification of Todd Barber's comment below. While I  
> am delighted to see his use of ecologically-sound water quality  
> standards for coral reef protection from eutrophication, these values  
> should not be attributed to me, but to Brian Lapointe, Peter Bell,  
> Mark Littler, and Diane Littler.
> 
> In addition, their pioneering work on the nutrient levels marking the  
> transition between coral-dominated and algae-dominated systems was  
> not cited in our paper on Corals and Coral Reefs, which Todd Barber  
> refers to below, as that paper was written several decades BEFORE  
> quantitative work was done to establish the eutrophication limits of  
> coral reefs. I have cited their original work in several later papers  
> on watershed and coastal zone management. stating that for our corals  
> to thrive we need to keep our waters clear of sewage and agricultural  
> nutrients by insisting that land-based human sources of nutrients be  
> recycled on land.
> 
> it is very important to credit the original literature, something  
> that has become extremely rare since so many nowadays cite only  
> second, third, or fourth hand references. In these the original work  
> is usually ignored or distorted beyond recognition. No wonder  
> students reading recent reviews are confused, and don't seem to  
> recognize that we have always known that coral reefs are extremely  
> fragile and increasingly vulnerable ecosystems, because the history  
> of the field has been falsified by pouring old wine into new bottles,  
> and peddling them as the latest fad vintage!
> 
> Thomas J. Goreau, PhD
> President
> Global Coral Reef Alliance
> 37 Pleasant Street, Cambridge MA 02139
> 617-864-4226
> goreau at bestweb.net
> http://www.globalcoral.org
> 
> 
>>Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2006 08:58:40 -0400
>>From: "Todd Barber" <reefball at reefball.com>
>>Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Placencia,	Belize: effect of proposed
>>	development on corals in southern Belize
>>To: <mtoy at destinationsbelize.com>, <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
>>Message-ID: <017501c662e7$d0a96e50$6901a8c0 at reef8c359cb049>
>>Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="iso-8859-1"
>>
>>Mary Troy of Destinations Belize sent an appeal to the coral list  
>>last week to assist her with an EIA reveiw for a proposed  
>>development on the Placencia Peninsula in Southern Belize.  The  
>>Reef Ball Foundation assisted her and has written a draft report  
>>and there is a link to the report which is in PDF format at http:// 
>>www.reefball.org/album/belize/placenciapeninsula/eiareview/ 
>>index.html.  We would appreciate any additional reviews or comments  
>>on this report before we go final with the document.  Additionally,  
>>Rachel Graham, who is researching Goliath grouper, rays and sharks  
>>in southern Belize is going to be in the area for the next couple  
>>of days and she is going to do some monitoring photos of the coral  
>>reefs in the area to strengthen the report.  Therefore, if anyone  
>>needs any additional on-site information to make comments we have  
>>this opportunity.
>>
>>We would especially appreciate any comments on nutrient limits to  
>>coral reefs.  The report already references Dr. Thomas Goreau's  
>>suggested levels as well as references to closed systems but  
>>addtional practical limits or legislated limits would be useful  
>>too.  Please make sure to convert whatever limits you suggest to  
>>PPM to be comparable to the EIA units of measure.  We are most  
>>interested in Total Nitrogen and Total Phosphate limts for coral  
>>reefs and for Total Nitrogen, Phospahte & Dissolved Oxygen limits  
>>for estuary systems health.
>>
>>We would also appreciate any comments on the heath of the reef in  
>>this area if anyone on the list has done any work there.
>>
>>Mary provides a link in her earlier message (below) to the original  
>>EIA if you would like to dive deeper into this issue.  The Annex  
>>file is the most comprehensive.  You will also find the graphics  
>>from our report at the link I posted above.
>>
>>Note: This development will have almost 13,000 people at full  
>>occupancy.  And it will be located on a barrier island between an  
>>estuary and the Caribbean sea were they has not been significant  
>>human population before.  All comments are appreciated.
>>
>>-Todd Barber
>>Chairman
>>Reef Ball Foundation
> 
> 
> 
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