[Coral-List] Impact of listing 66 coral species on coral research
David Bryan
drbryan02 at yahoo.com
Thu Dec 13 18:56:17 EST 2012
The only population estimate that I have found suggests that there are about 14
million A. cervicornis colonies in
the Florida Keys (Miller et al 2008). Given the broad distribution of the
species in the Western Atlantic and what I have seen and read about, there are perhaps over a hundred million colonies
in existence throughout its range. Although they have declined in many locations, I am still having a hard time wrapping my head around these
numbers and wonder how the general public would react.
Scientist: We are
listing ____ as an endangered species.
Citizen: That’s awful.
How many are left?
Scientist: A hundred million.
Citizen: Oh.
Is population size a factor in the determination of
threatened / endangered species and how does the population size of A. cervicornis compare to other corals
or other listed species (low? high?) For example in the Florida Keys, A. palmata is much less abundant.
Miller, S. L., M. Chiappone, L.M. Rutten and D. W. Swanson.
2008 Population status of Acropora corals
in the Florida Keys. Proc 11th Int Coral
Reef Symp:775-779
David Bryan
Senior Research Associate
University of Miami
Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science
Division of Marine Biology and Fisheries
4600 Rickenbacker Cswy
Miami, FL 33149
305-421-4736
http://femar.rsmas.miami.edu/bryan.htm
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