[Coral-List] Corals don't Clog, Discovery Inc. will clog them?

Sun Mar 19 16:28:47 EST 2006

Dear James,

Not surprisingly, my recent email has elicited a variety of responses.
Happily, most have been constructive, well considered, highly informative
and above all, polite. Only a couple have been otherwise and to them:
"Likewise, mate"!

As I said in my previous email regarding my views and comments of the List
upon recently re-joining it: "At best, my view is just skewed because of my
recent rejoining."  Clearly there is much more on the Bahamas issue that I
have not been party too. However, I am well aware of some issues in the
Bahamas, having not too distantly become extremely P'd-off and since
withdrawn CCC's offer of support for a GEF initiative there.

James, I wanted to reply to your email openly via coral-list (as opposed to
the others I have done so directly and in private) because your reply was in
the first-person, informative & constructive, and not instantly knee-jerk
hostile or personally abusive.

I remain convinced that the dialogue I have seen (limited as it may be, and
co-limited as to the period of my rejoining the List has been) regarding
Guana has at best run it's course as far as the List is concerned. In my
opinion, it now needs to be shifted into another dedicated focal arena; an
arena that all wishing to join should be openly invited to do so - period!.
Some of what I have read posted to coral-list (since I re-joined) from
certain parties regarding Bahamas could, in other hands, become extremely
profitable to those whose livelihoods are dependent within the legal
profession - enough said!

Be advised also that the Bahamas issue is US-centric: of interest to US
scientist adjacent to the US coastal cities. It (the issue) should be born
in mind, but related and extended to those countries such as the
Philippines, where in my own limited experience (21 years), far more can be
accomplished and achieved by US scientists willing to travel beyond the
confines of the USA.

Let me put this another way: a good deal of time and effort appears to be
spent on trying to protect a few hectares (?) of coral reefs surrounding
Guana, and at face value perhaps at odds with the Government and influential
and well-financed development stakeholders. What BEST has to say about all
this or what the local community have to say, I have not been party to;
their voice/comments via the List I have not seen, perhaps given my recent
re-entry. There are several thousand ++ hectares of equally (if not more)
important reefs out there in places like the Philippines just begging a
one-tenth diversion of US reef-focus to them. With just a fraction of the
Guana attention and focus, US reef scientists would successfully accomplish
way more than they could ever hope to in tiny places like the Bahamas.

There really is some "interesting data" coming from the Philippines. My
point is: is there anyone from the USA that really wants to listen to it?
For the very small minority that do/can, please contact the likes of CCC.

All the best,

Pete

_____________________________________________
Peter Raines MBE FRGS FIBiol CGeog CBiol MInstD
Founder & Chairman

Coral Cay Conservation Ltd
40-42 Osnaburgh Street, London NW1 3ND, UK
Tel: +44 (0)20 7874 5212 (direct line)
Tel: +44 (0)777 176 7423 (cellphone)
Fax: +44 (0)870 750 0667
email: psr at coralcay.org
www.coralcay.org

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______________________________________________

 -----Original Message-----
From: 	coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
[mailto:coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov]  On Behalf Of James M.
Cervino
Sent:	18 March 2006 12:50
To:	coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
Subject:	[Coral-List] Corals don't Clog, Discovery Inc. will clog them?

Dear Pete,

I don't think bringing attention to a development project that will
kill 200 year old corals in the Bahamas can be constituted as
"clogging up this list". Do you realize that the Bahamas Govt is
about to approve such an action? We were  using Guana as a study site
to monitor corals that are infected with very low indices of coraline
diseases. We coral scientists need to have old colonies to monitor
over time during this current time, and if this development project
takes place with the help of these so called "experts" the developer
is paying we will loose this study site.  I was actually happy to see
that this reef, if the levels of nutrients were to be controlled, can
be a great study site for many scientists and divers to use as an
educational tool so close to US coastal cities.

Erik Gauger has told me that this thread may actually help save the
corals of Guana.  We appreciate Jim Hendee's efforts for having this
open platform and are looking forward to hearing about your
"interesting data" from the Philippines!

James

Dear all,

I've just rejoined the List and am starting to regret having done so: my
emails having been immediately swamped today by "The Great Guana Cay Debate"
etc etc,....

Much of what I have read and been party to on this issue (in just the past
12 hrs since I rejoined)  seems somewhat polarised and extremely focussed (I
choose my words very carefully here!).  At best, my view is just skewed
because of my recent rejoining. At worst, some would say that coral-list has
been hijacked. I shall remain on the List for a few days more in the hope
that my initial concerns are unfounded.

Important as the Guana issue is (and it is), perhaps it's now time for those
wishing to pursue it so passionately (and you have all made us all now know
very load and clear who you are) to do so amongst yourselves, move off to
another dedicated communication channel amongst yourselves, and not clog-up
the open channel that coral-list was established for.

So, having said all that: anyone out there want info on the status of coral
reefs in Southern Leyte (Philippines)? Some really interesting data coming
out of there, if you are interested.

Cheers,

Pete
--
**************************************************
Dr. James M. Cervino, MS, Ph.D.
Marine Pathology
Department of Biological & Health Sciences
Pace University New York NYC
Phone: (917) 620-5287
Web site: http://www.globalcoral.org
***************************************************
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