[Coral-List] 82 Corals Status Review under the US Endangered Species Act

DeeVon Quirolo dquirolo at gmail.com
Wed Jun 6 09:57:36 EDT 2012


Great comments Vassil. Hope alls well with you.

The very real possibility of coral extinctions demands that we do all we
can--including the tools provided by the ESA-- to insure that threats to
endangered corals are reduced at every level.  We have to move the
discussion towards holistic conservation measures to counteract the
continued degradation of corals from anthropogenic sources.

All the Best, DeeVon

On Wed, Jun 6, 2012 at 7:34 AM, vassil zlatarski <vzlatarski at yahoo.com>wrote:

> Dear Coral Friends,
>
>
>
> I am grateful that my preoccupation about the Petition to list 83 species
> of coral as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act was
> posted here (Coral-List Archives, April 6, 2010).  At that time was clear
> that the goal required more efficient usage of all existing scientific
> knowledge and professional experience.
>
> Following the procedure, Dr. Terry Hughes (Center of Independent Experts
> Reports) presented constructive and very detailed Status Review Report
>
> http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/stories/2012/04/docs/review_of_noaa_status_review_report_hughes.pdf
> Strangely, it did not bring much of revision for the "revised" version.
> Also, this fact is playing now discouraging effect for future participation
> in the preparation of the document.  Why to file written opinions if an
> official  review did not help much?
>
> The Status Review Report by the Biological Review Team (BRT) considered
> only the species before selected by the Center for Biological Diversity.
> The
>  selection process and the entire coral community were not object of the
> review.  However, it is worthy of note the following statement of BRT: "The
> lack of adequate information on complex coral ecology and interactions
> between threats made the assessment of extinction risk for each of the 82
> nominal coral species extremely challenging and uncertain".
>
> In addition, last two years brought new scientific knowledge which was not
> considered.  Not to mention, the continuing ignorance of paleobiological
> and geological experience.
>
> Finally, it was realized that the picture is not complete for such
> responsible action.  The scheduled public listening sessions and science
> workshops are unusual for the rulemaking process and de facto recognize the
> necessity of something to be done.  Coral-List can help a lot with a broad
> collegial discussion in search for right way.  These species live in the
> waters of many countries.  The everyday discussions in this forum
> demonstrate how much the specialists care for the corals and reefs.  A
> friendly and respectful atmosphere introduced by the employees responsible
> for this document should stimulate collecting existing data and wisdom.
> However, the experience with such document for Caribbean Acropora,
> showed that organizers acted somehow more defensively concerning the
> procedure than the corals.  Of
> course, everything has to follow the rulemaking process, but it is also
> imperious to use the
> existing knowledge.  The time urges re-evaluation and harmonization of
> coral species and reef ecosystem conservation approaches and also to take
> care of coral hybrids.  The action needs more of the existing science.
>
> The listening sessions and science workshops are coming soon, but they can
> be attended personally only by limited number of specialists.  A very
> interactive Webinar will be appropriate.
>
> Last but not least, the case of 82 coral species will be an example and
> lesson for the other coral nations.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Vassil
>
> Vassil Zlatarski
> Independent Scientist
> D.Sc. (Biology), Ph.D. (Geology)
>
>
> 131 Fales Rd., Bristol, RI 02809, USA;  tel.: +1-401-254-5121
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> Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
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>



-- 
DeeVon Quirolo

www.reefrelieffounders.com

You must be the change you want to see in the world.
Mahatma Gandhi

We can do no great things; only small things with great love.
Mother Theresa

The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics
whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need men who can
dream of things that never were.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy


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