[Coral-List] Algae and Nutrients and Herbivory

William Allison allison.billiam at gmail.com
Mon Jun 23 11:47:17 EDT 2008


Hi Mike,

Glad to hear you will be feeding the ravenous dipteran masses.

Global causes:
In your list of global causes I expected to see the possibility that reefs,
having caught up or matched Holocene sea level rise, now have no place to
go, and reeftops, stuck in a harsh environment are senescing until sea level
variation brings rebirth - or reincarnation.

Grazing
Pertaining to urchin-fish control of algae, apart from Echinostrephus on
reefs and Tripneustes in seagrass beds, urchins have been generally rare in
Maldives for close to 20 years and probably longer. If grazing has been
controlling the algae it does not appear to have been urchin grazing. This
could change if, in probable chronological order of overfishing, urchin
predators then grazers were to be overfished. If (or should that be when)
the tuna stocks crash, such overfishing can be expected. In the meantime it
appears that even if algae is controlled by grazers, high nutrient levels
contribute to framework destruction by means of algae, borers, and consumers
of same. In some locations with high organic pollution, framework
destruction substantially exceeds the rate of construction.

Bill





On Sun, Jun 22, 2008 at 8:06 PM, Michael Risk <
riskmj at univmail.cis.mcmaster.ca> wrote:

> I have followed this thread with great interest. My hope is that
> enlightenment will eventually result.
>
> As a token of this approach, I would like to propose a radical
> hypothesis: that the Diadema dieoff was essentially irrelevant to the
> present decline of Caribbean reefs. Those who believe that the reefs
> will come back when Diadema does may as well put their teeth under the
> pillow at night, in hopes that the Tooth Fairy will come.
>
> I have no doubt the dieoff was a tragedy to Diadema's echinoderm
> relatives, who perhaps mourn the passing of their spinous relative-a
> Holothurian horror, an Asteroid impact (heh), even a Crinoid crisis.
> But I question whether the present state would be any different had
> Diadema survived to this day-or at least, I encourage readers to
> consider the concept. Those who have minds sufficiently open to do so.
>
> I realise this will not be well received in certain quarters. Entire
> careers have been built around this spiny critter. Nonetheless, every
> theory begins with observations/data that are then built into
> hypotheses.
>
> There can be no doubt of the importance of grazing. The seminal work of
> Stephenson and Searles (to which Doug Fenner just referred) and Gerry
> Bakus blazed a remarkable trail. Paul Sammarco amplified and expanded
> the role of Diadema. (One sometimes wonders what seminal advances in
> the field have been made in the ensuing 40 years-but that's another
> question.) But focus now is on decline.
>
> We know from the work of people like Phil Dustan, Bob Halas and Tom
> Goreau that the decline in the Caribbean was well under way by the
> early 70's. If we look at the decline as figured in Gardner et al 2003,
> we can see that the Diadema dieoff didn't make much of a dent in the
> overall downward spiral. (In fact, one looks in vain for an associated
> nickpoint...) In addition, we now know from the work by John Bruno and
> his students that decline in the Pacific is also well under way-it
> started a little later, and is going a tad more slowly, but downward
> she trends. Caribbean reefs are losing coral at 1.5%/year, the Pacific
> at a somewhat slower rate of 1%/year.
>
> In short, for a global phenomenon one seeks global causes, and Diadema
> doesn't make the cut. Much of the work in this field has been done by
> those I would term "pure" biologists (I am an impure one). When the
> only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.
> (Before anyone jumps me on this-Yes, I am well aware that some
> Caribbean reefs with Diadema are doing somewhat better than their
> urchin-free brethren, and I am well aware of work showing modest
> recovery in Jamaica in areas associated with Diadema. I consider the
> former as happy, isolated smallscale delights, and the latter as
> compromised because of the lack of related data.)
>
> In order to propose solutions, we need to understand the origins of the
> problem. Where could we turn, to search for culprits?
>
> Worldwide overfishing seems likely, and has often been suggested. But
> it seems to me that this is a phenomenon in search of a mechanism. If
> the large vertebrates were all fished out centuries ago, why did
> decline start in the 60's and go into high gear in the 70's? And why
> world-wide? And why is it that the large, desirable  species are fished
> out first (groupers, snappers, etc), leaving hordes of grazers, as is
> the case in places like Indonesia, yet still the reefs decline?
> (Sometimes people become so desperate they eat scats and rabbitfish,
> yuck, in which case all bets are off.)
>
> Climate change also fails the test. The Caribbean had already lost half
> its corals before the first widespread bleaching.
>
> Disease is for sure a factor-but only post-1980, and diseases also
> often have terrestrial links.
>
> Ocean acidification? Don't make me laugh (or cry). The reefs will be
> long gone before the remnant hardgrounds start to dissolve.
>
> Florida often comes in for extra discussion, because there has been so
> much work done there, and the economic stakes are so high. It has been
> suggested that shelf-edge upwelling is somehow connected with pumping
> nutrients across the shelf and leading to reef decline. Those
> advocating this process either don't know enough geology or have
> another agenda. Sea level has been stable off that coast for approx.
> 4,000 years, which is the length of time this upwelling process has
> gone on. This cannot be connected to any recent decline.
>
> It is true that some reefs can survive in upwelling regions. This is a
> red herring. They never do very well-and one need not look far for the
> reasons.
>
> In short, I suggest we stick to hypotheses and discussions that fit the
> data. And in the spirit of playful combat, may I suggest:
>
> Diadema is irrelevant. Show me otherwise.
>
> I am now leaving on a long canoe trip, and will be unavailable for some
> time.
>
> Mike
>
>
> On Fri, 20 Jun 2008 14:25:04 -0700 (PDT)
>  Martin Moe <martin_moe at yahoo.com> wrote:
> > Dear Chip,
> > I agree with your post, at least as far as it goes. Obviously,
> > the nutrients that fuel algae growth and the herbivory that maintains
> > the
> > balance between algae and coral growth are both greatly disrupted and
> > this
> > balance that has maintained the growth and development of our coral
> > reefs for
> > hundreds of thousands of years has shifted toward algae. One thing
> > your post
> > did not mention, however, was the effect on the coral reefs of the
> > entire
> > tropical western Atlantic when Diadema urchins
> > were lost to a plague in 1983. Fish alone did not, could not, provide
> > all the
> > herbivory and substrate conditioning that was and is required to
> > maintain the historical balance
> > between coral and algae growth. We can not repair the ecology of our
> > Florida coral reef
> > ecosystems through elimination of nutrients alone (even if that were
> > possible).
> > We will only see a pivotal shift in the ecological balance from algae
> > cover back toward
> > coral growth when Diadema return to the reefs. They may do this
> > naturally or we
> > may be able to develop ways to help them recover. Of course our reefs
> > are
> > facing many problems in addition to the loss of their keystone
> > herbivore, and
> > these problems will not be resolved solely by the return of Diadema.
> > But it is
> > my conviction that our reefs will be much more resistant to the
> > negative
> > impacts produced by our presence when, and if, Diadema return in
> > ecologically functional
> > populations.
> >
> > Martin Moe
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----
> > From: Rex Chip Baumberger <RBaumberger at HBOI.edu>
> > To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> > Sent: Friday, June 20, 2008 9:32:47 AM
> > Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Algae and Nutrients and Herbivory
> >
> > Dear Imam,
> >   The relationship between nutrients and algal growth is well
> > established, and the influences of herbivory on algal growth and
> > cover have also been demonstrated.  However, as Dr. Goreau stated,
> > the lack of successful integration of nutrients and herbivory in any
> > of those studies has contributed to a disconnect.  In Florida, where
> > a large coastal population has resulted in mesotrophic and more
> > typically eutrophic coastal waters, we have a high % of algal cover
> > and biomass.  Add the facts that we do not fish for herbivorous
> > fishes, and that we have removed a fair % of their predators; it
> > follows that Florida would have an increase in herbivorous fishes,
> > and therefore our relative herbivory.  But we are still plagued by
> > macroalgal dominance, losses of coral and Harmful Algal Blooms. This
> > suggests that nutrients are indeed an important factor shaping the
> > algal community.  Hatcher and Larkum (1983, JEMBE 69, pp61-84)
> > compared grazing and nitrogen
> >  concentrations on One Tree Reef in Australia and found both grazing
> > and nitrogen were important in limiting algal growth.
> >
> > Sincerely,
> > Chip
> >
> > Rex "Chip" Baumberger
> > Biological Scientist, FAU
> > Marine Nutrient Dynamics Dept.
> > Marine Science Division
> > Harbor Branch Oceanographic Inst.
> > 5600 US1 North
> > Fort Pierce, FL 34946
> > 772-465-2400 x398
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> > [mailto:coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov] On Behalf Of
> > coral-list-request at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> > Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2008 12:00 PM
> > To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> > Subject: Coral-List Digest, Vol 60, Issue 15
> >
> >
> > Send Coral-List mailing list submissions to
> >     coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> >
> > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
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> >
> > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
> > than "Re: Contents of Coral-List digest..."
> >
> >
> > Today's Topics:
> >
> >    1. Algae and nutrients and herbivory in oligotrophic    waters
> >       (Thomas Goreau)
> >    2. ICRS Media Advisory (Corinne Knutson)
> >    3. Re: Herbivory on oligotrophic waters (Szmant, Alina)
> >    4. Re: Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2008 (Don Baker)
> >    5. Water temperatures and organism responses (Esther Peters)
> >    6. Newspaper article on coral reef conservation (Sarah
> > Frias-Torres)
> >    7. response to David Medio re Qatari reefs (sale at uwindsor.ca)
> >
> >
> >
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Message: 1
> > Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:06:19 -0400
> > From: Thomas Goreau <goreau at bestweb.net>
> > Subject: [Coral-List] Algae and nutrients and herbivory in
> >     oligotrophic    waters
> > To: Imam Bachtiar <ibachtiar at telkom.net>
> > Cc: coral-list coral-list <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
> > Message-ID: <F641B1A8-8435-479C-BD9E-3A067BFC62FF at bestweb.net>
> > Content-Type: text/plain;    charset=US-ASCII;    delsp=yes;
> >    format=flowed
> >
> > Dear Imam,
> >
> > Very few of the studies on herbivory and algae are any good, because
> >
> > only a tiny handful have made accurate nutrient measurements. When
> > this is done properly it is clear that nutrients drive algae
> > productivity and herbivory is only a secondary factor, because
> > grazers prefer to eat some species and avoid others. I've looked at
> > the zonation of algae species in reefs all around the world and these
> >
> > are sharply zoned by nutrients in ways that clearly reveal the
> > sources. Every place I've looked with nutrient sources are dominated
> >
> > by algae whether or not herbivores are present (and herbivore always
> >
> > dominate the fish where there are nutrient sources, whether these are
> >
> > from human land-based sources or from upwelling), and algae are
> > absent or rare where there are no nutrient sources, again whether or
> >
> > not there are herbivores (which there rarely are).  This is the exact
> >
> > opposite of what top-downers predict.
> >
> > As far as coralivores go, I also think the popular conceptions are
> > often erroneous. Most alleged coral eating is much less than is
> > claimed. Butterflyfish mostly just suck off surface mucus and there
> > is little or no physical damage to polyps. Parrotfish that are
> > allegedly biting coral are almost inevitably biting algae growing on
> >
> > dead coral, and avoiding the coral tissue, as you can see if you look
> >
> > closely where they bite. The popular claims that parrotfish eat coral
> >
> > is probably largely untrue, and much of their biting of corals is
> > really territorial marking the boundaries of breeding territories
> > rather than for food. Almost every time you look where a bumphead
> > parrotfish or Napoleon wrasse has bitten into large bubble  coral
> > colonies, you will see the tubes of the burrowing clams and worms
> > inside the coral that they were really eating rather than coral
> > tissue.
> >
> > I'll talk a bit about this at the next Gili Trawangan workshop in
> > early December. Look forward to continuing to work with you there and
> >
> > other sites around Lombok. My best to all my friends in Bogor.
> >
> > Best wishes,
> > Tom
> >
> > 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: Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:28:37 -0700
> > From: "Imam Bachtiar" <ibachtiar at telkom.net>
> > Subject: [Coral-List] Herbivory on oligotrophic waters
> > To: <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
> > Cc: coremap2 at yahoogroups.com
> > Message-ID: <000801c8d171$226bd120$67437360$@net>
> > Content-Type: text/plain;    charset="us-ascii"
> >
> >
> > Dear all,
> > Herbivory is thought to be a key process in coral reef resilience.
> > Several
> > studies have shown its importance in controlling macroalgae and
> > provide space for larval settlement. Most papers discussing about
> > herbivory exclusion experiments, however, do not clearly explain
> > whether the
> > location
> > of study is oligotrophic or mesotrophic. Some other papers also
> > indicate that nutrients is not limiting factor of macroalgae growth.
> > I would like therefore to have your opinion or comments about this.
> > 1) Is there any paper studying herbivory in oligotrophic waters?
> > 2) Which one is more important in reconstruction of reef communities
> > in oligotrophic waters: herbivory vs corallivory? Looking forward to
> > have your reply.
> >
> > Best regards,
> > Imam Bachtiar
> > Postgraduate School
> > Institut Pertanian Bogor, Indonesia
> >
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------
> >
> > Message: 2
> > Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:23:38 -0700
> > From: Corinne Knutson <cknutson at seaweb.org>
> > Subject: [Coral-List] ICRS Media Advisory
> > To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> > Message-ID: <37A25040-833B-4721-A4CF-9B2FEBC1C1FA at seaweb.org>
> > Content-Type: text/plain;    charset=WINDOWS-1252;    delsp=yes;
> >     format=flowed
> >
> > The below media advisory on the International Coral Reef Symposium
> > was sent to approximately 2,600 individual journalists on July 17 and
> >
> > 18 and has been posted on several list-serves and Web sites,
> > including PR newswire.  Please forward to any interested contacts.
> >
> > Coral Reef Experts to Unveil Latest Science at First U.S. Gathering
> > in 30 Years
> >
> > The world's leading coral reef science conference, the International
> >
> > Coral Reef Symposium will take place July 7-11 in Fort Lauderdale,
> > Florida.  Research findings to be released and discussed at the
> > symposium will include subject areas such as the emerging link
> > between ocean acidification and coral reef health; diseases killing
> > coral reefs around the world; recovery of coral reef ecosystems
> > following bleaching episodes; and the effectiveness of Marine
> > Protected Areas, among many others.
> >
> > Please see below for SeaWeb's full media advisory on the
> > International Coral Reef Symposium.  To register for the meeting,
> > visit: http://www.nova.edu/ncri/11icrs/media_newsroom.html.  For a
> > list of footage, images and data available, please contact Corinne
> > Knutson (cknutson at seaweb.org or +1.808.497.3360).
> >
> >
> >
> > MEDIA ADVISORY:  June 17, 2008
> >
> > LEADING INTERNATIONAL CORAL REEF EXPERTS TO UNVEIL LATEST SCIENCE AT
> >
> > FIRST U.S. GATHERING IN 30 YEARS
> >
> >
> >
> > The world?s leading coral reef science conference, the 11th
> > International Coral Reef Symposium (ICRS), begins Monday, July 7 in
> > Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Held once every four years, the ICRS brings more
> >
> > than 2,500 international scientists, policy makers, managers, and
> > conservationists together to present the latest findings on coral
> > reef science and management. Reports will be announced on topics
> > including the emerging link between climate change, ocean
> > acidification and coral reef health; diseases affecting coral reefs
> > around the world; recovery of coral reef ecosystems following
> > bleaching episodes; and the effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas.
> >
> >
> >
> > What:  The International Coral Reef Symposium http://www.nova.edu/
> > ncri/11icrs/
> >
> >
> >
> > - Sanctioned by the International Society for Reef Studies, the
> > largest society focused on coral reefs worldwide.
> >
> >
> >
> > -  Hosted by the US Coral Reef Task Force and the state of Florida.
> > Chair organization by Nova Southeastern University of Ft. Lauderdale,
> >
> > FL, home of the United States? National Coral Reef Institute.
> >
> >
> >
> > -  Occurs during the 2008 International Year of the Reef.
> >
> >
> >
> > When:  Monday, July 7 ? Friday, July 11, 2008
> >
> > For a detailed schedule: http://www.nova.edu/ncri/11icrs/
> > sciprogram_schedule.html
> >
> >
> >
> > Where:  Greater Ft. Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center, 1950
> >
> > Eisenhower Boulevard at the northern end of Port Everglades. Security
> >
> > checkpoints require valid government-issued identification. For
> > directions: http://www.ftlauderdalecc.com/broward-directions.htm
> >
> >
> >
> > Who:  Experts on coral reefs and climate change, coral reef
> > fisheries, ocean acidification, coral reef diseases, and reef
> > management will be available for media interviews. Only registered
> > and paid attendees and the news media can attend. Credentialed
> > members of the news media, please register at: http://www.nova.edu/
> > ncri/11icrs/media_newsroom.html.  An Exhibits and Education Center
> > will be open to the public.
> >
> >
> >
> > For Members of the News Media: Daily media briefings and interview
> > opportunities will feature prominent researchers discussing their
> > findings. A fully equipped pressroom will be available.  Relevant
> > research will be available starting June 17 in the ICRS newsroom.
> > Embargoed press releases will be available on EurekAlert! from
> > Wednesday, July 2. Beginning July 7, interviews with scientists
> > participating in the daily news briefings, plus overviews, B-roll,
> > photos, and graphics, will be available online: http://www.nova.edu/
> > ncri/11icrs/media_newsroom.html
> >
> >
> >
> > Media Contacts:
> >
> > Julia Roberson (UK, BST)
> >
> > +44(0)77.04.54.83.92
> >
> > jroberson at seaweb.org
> >
> >
> >
> > Cindy Yeast
> >
> > +1.202.236.5413
> >
> > cyeast at seaweb.org
> >
> >
> >
> > Corinne Knutson (US, PDT)
> >
> > +1.808.497.3360
> >
> > cknutson at seaweb.org
> >
> > ------------------------------
> >
> > Message: 3
> > Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:40:00 -0400
> > From: "Szmant, Alina" <szmanta at uncw.edu>
> > Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Herbivory on oligotrophic waters
> > To: "Imam Bachtiar" <ibachtiar at telkom.net>,
> >     <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
> > Cc: coremap2 at yahoogroups.com
> > Message-ID:
> >
>    <4E15FCC7981F7A4CA5AA0DEF4B2141C9126FB59B at UNCWMAILVS2.dcs.uncw.edu>
> > Content-Type: text/plain;    charset="us-ascii"
> >
> > Hi Bachtiar:
> >
> > This is a debated topic, but the weight of evidence is that (a) with
> > healthy levels of herbivory, reasonable levels nutrient enrichment
> > (i.e. not immediately next to a sewage discharge pipe) has little
> > effect on algal biomass accretion; (b)  with reduced herbivory, and
> > under oligotrophic conditions, algal biomass accretes (and can
> > overgrow substrate including coral).  One of the classic papers on
> > this topic is LEWIS, S. M. 1986. The role of herbivorous fishes in
> > the organization of a Caribbean reef community. Ecological Monographs
> > 56:183-200.  This was conducted on the very oligotrophic reef flats
> > of Carrie Bow Cay back in mid 1980s.  A number of studies including
> > nutrient enrichment with and reduced herbivory (caging) were included
> > in the special issue of Coral Reefs published in 2001 (Vol 19 no. 4).
> >  The one authored by Smith et al was conducted in a marine reserve on
> > the big island of Hawaii where there were high levels of herbivory.
> >  During the
> >  lengthy and extensive ENCORE experiment on the GBR daily enrichment
> > for over 2 years had no effect on algal biomass.  These and many more
> > papers are reviewed in my 2002 paper is Estuaries (available on my
> > web page).  Also look up numerous publications by Tony Larkum and
> > Laurie McCook.
> >
> > Best wishes.
> >
> > Alina Szmant
> >
> > *******************************************************************
> > Dr. Alina M. Szmant
> > Coral Reef Research Group
> > UNCW-Center for Marine Science
> > 5600 Marvin K. Moss Ln
> > Wilmington NC 28409
> > Tel: (910)962-2362 & Fax:  (910)962-2410
> > Cell:  (910)200-3913
> > email:  szmanta at uncw.edu
> > Web Page:  http://people.uncw.edu/szmanta
> > ******************************************************************
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> > [mailto:coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov] On Behalf Of Imam
> > Bachtiar
> > Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2008 2:29 PM
> > To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> > Cc: coremap2 at yahoogroups.com
> > Subject: [Coral-List] Herbivory on oligotrophic waters
> >
> >
> > Dear all,
> > Herbivory is thought to be a key process in coral reef resilience.
> > Several studies have shown its importance in controlling macroalgae
> > and provide space for larval settlement. Most papers discussing about
> > herbivory exclusion experiments, however, do not clearly explain
> > whether the location of study is oligotrophic or mesotrophic. Some
> > other papers also indicate that nutrients is not limiting factor of
> > macroalgae growth. I would like therefore to have your opinion or
> > comments about this.
> > 1) Is there any paper studying herbivory in oligotrophic waters?
> > 2) Which one is more important in reconstruction of reef communities
> > in oligotrophic waters: herbivory vs corallivory? Looking forward to
> > have your reply.
> >
> > Best regards,
> > Imam Bachtiar
> > Postgraduate School
> > Institut Pertanian Bogor, Indonesia
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Coral-List mailing list
> > Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> > http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------
> >
> > Message: 4
> > Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:08:39 -0700 (PDT)
> > From: Don Baker <reefpeace at yahoo.com>
> > Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2008
> > To: Clive Wilkinson <clive.wilkinson at rrrc.org.au>
> > Cc: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> > Message-ID: <850586.602.qm at web58008.mail.re3.yahoo.com>
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
> >
> > Hello Clive,
> >
> > Have you any replies from either Guam or the CNMI yet?
> >
> > Regards,
> > Don Baker
> > Guam USA
> >
> > Clive Wilkinson <clive.wilkinson at rrrc.org.au> wrote: Dear Listers
> >
> >
> >
> > A week ago, we asked for data and information to include in the
> > Status 2008 report. I received more than 60 replies with valuable
> > data from all over the world: Timor Leste, Anguilla, Vanuatu,
> > Madagascar, Somalia, Qatar, Majuro, Wakatobi (Indonesia) etc. Many of
> > these will be new observations for locations not reported in previous
> > Status reports.
> >
> >
> >
> > *       If you have data or information - please reply.
> >
> >
> >
> > *       If you have stories of events (positive and negative) since
> > 2004, please pass these on. We can include separate boxes of
> > interesting coral reef news.
> >
> >
> >
> > *       If I did not reply, please remind me.
> >
> >
> >
> > This exercise illustrates the value of Coral-List; it links the coral
> > reef world to exchange information about coral reefs.
> >
> >
> >
> > So a special thanks to Jim Hendee and his team in NOAA for keeping
> > this running - THANKS?
> >
> >
> > Cheers
> >
> > Clive
> >
> >
> >
> > Clive Wilkinson, Global Coordinator
> >
> > Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network
> >
> > c/o RRRC, PO Box 772
> >
> > Townsville, 4810 Australia
> >
> > Tel: +61 7 47212699; Fax: +61 7 47722808
> >
> > e-mail: clive.wilkinson at rrrc.org.au; www.gcrmn.org
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Coral-List mailing list
> > Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> > http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list
> >
> >
> >
> > Alternate Email: donbjr95 at hotmail.com
> >
> > "Dedication and motivated direction in achieving specific goals
> > related to the care and protection of living things is not
> > necessarily a guaranteed formula for success.  Success is, more often
> > than not, a direct result of a person?s passion in addition to the
> > above formula." [Don Baker, Marine Conservationist/Activist, 1998]
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------
> >
> > Message: 5
> > Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2008 19:50:35 -0400
> > From: Esther Peters <esther.peters at verizon.net>
> > Subject: [Coral-List] Water temperatures and organism responses
> > To: Coral-List <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
> > Message-ID: <48599F4B.8080403 at verizon.net>
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
> >
> > All,
> >
> > I want to call your attention to a paper (PowerPoint presentation and
> >
> > notes presented earlier this year at the Florida Academy of Sciences)
> > in
> > which temperature logger data collected from benthic stations off St.
> >
> > Petersburg and the Florida Keys are compared with SST records.  Go to
> >
> > http://delta-seven.com/publications.html to download these files.
> >
> > This look at "what the organism sees" makes me think the coral
> > bleaching
> > story is much more complex, not only from a habitat perspective, but
> > from an individual colony perspective.  The often daily fluctuating
> > pattern of temperatures to which benthic organisms are adapted
> > suggest
> > that homeostatic mechanisms operate to keep coral/zooxanthellae
> > metabolic cycling pathways capable of recovering from short (hours)
> > pulses of warmer water exposure.  Laboratory experiments to examine
> > heat
> > stress have not (to my knowledge) looked at these finer scale
> > fluctuating temperature adaptations, which might be due to changes in
> >
> > insolation, tides, rainfall, or other factors.  And in situ
> > temperatures
> > can be different from the SST readings, even higher, or much lower.
> >
> > Because I have seen histologically that "bleaching" can be associated
> >
> > with exocytosis of zooxanthellae, death of the symbiotic algae within
> >
> > the gastrodermal cell (bacterial toxin-mediated or other factor?),
> > replacement of zooxanthellae by intracellular parasites (perhaps by
> > competition for nutrients or toxin secretion, still unknown), and
> > sloughing of the gastrodermis,  and associated with increased or
> > decreased temperatures or not, salinity changes, shading,
> > sedimentation,
> > etc., we should be more inquisitive about how this condition develops
> >
> > and what these temperature data mean for habit and other organisms,
> > too.
> >
> > Esther Peters, Ph.D.
> > George Mason University
> > epeters2 at gmu.edu
> >
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------
> >
> > Message: 6
> > Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:56:43 -0400
> > From: Sarah Frias-Torres <sfrias_torres at hotmail.com>
> > Subject: [Coral-List] Newspaper article on coral reef conservation
> > To: <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
> > Message-ID: <BAY143-W287911858C16BF0B7A1BF481AA0 at phx.gbl>
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
> >
> >
> > Dear Coral-list,following one of my previous comments on the list, I
> > have received several requests for an article on coral reef
> > conservation I had published in one of the major newspapers in Spain
> > (summer 2007), which initiated a chain reaction of more exposure in
> > the media. Attached you will find the article, in Spanish. The
> > article was addressed to the intelligent reader with no training in
> > marine biology.For non-spanish speakers in the list, the main text
> > talks about coral biology, current threats to coral reefs and global
> > warming. The box on the bottom is a shortlist of things you can do to
> > save what is left. The final sentence is 'saber es poder' (=knowledge
> > is power). The underwater photos (except one, credited to NOAA) are
> > part of my own collection.  Total time spent on the article: 8 hours,
> > Total money earned : zero dollars, Knowing that a country with no
> > coral reefs paid attention: priceless
> >
> >
> >
> > Sarah Frias-Torres, Ph.D.
> > Marine Conservation Biologist
> > Ocean Research and Conservation Association, Fort Pierce, Florida USA
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------
> >
> > Message: 7
> > Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2008 11:08:19 -0400
> > From: sale at uwindsor.ca
> > Subject: [Coral-List] response to David Medio re Qatari reefs
> > To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> > Message-ID:
> >
>    <OF9A2F2867.4871CB68-ON8525746D.004D07E3-8525746D.00532B2B at uwindsor.ca>
> >
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
> >
> > Response to Medio, 18th June:
> > I just want to correct any misunderstanding regarding your reference
> > to " the deployment of artificial reefs (see Nakheel's project aided
> > by the UN
> > University".
> >
> > Nakheel is a for-profit component of the Dubai leadership that is
> > engaged
> > in construction of substantial coastal and offshore islands, rather
> > than
> > artificial reefs,  as high-value ocean-front real estate.  UNU-INWEH
> > is
> > not a partner in this overall process, but we are working with
> > Nakheel to
> > develop, implement, and train them in operating a long-term
> > environmental
> > monitoring and management program for the aquatic environments
> > surrounding
> > their island developments.  Our goal is to help ensure that their
> > developments will be managed in an environmentally sustainable way.
> >  In
> > the course of our work, we have been tracking performance of corals
> > on
> > natural reefs in the vicinity, as well as on the rocky breakwaters
> > that
> > are a feature of the Nakheel projects.
> >
> > We have no direct knowledge of the situation in Qatar, but I presume
> > the
> > physical environment is every bit as stressful for corals there as in
> >
> > Dubai (extreme temperatures, high salinities, frequent high turbidity
> >
> > during storms).
> >
> > Peter F. Sale
> > International Network on Water, Environment and Health
> > United Nations University
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Coral-List mailing list
> > Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> > http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list
> >
> >
> > End of Coral-List Digest, Vol 60, Issue 15
> > ******************************************
> >
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> > _______________________________________________
> > Coral-List mailing list
> > Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> > http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list
>
> Mike Risk
> Marine Ecologist
> PO Box 1195
> Durham Ontario
> N0G 1R0
>  _______________________________________________
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