[Coral-List] What do coral reef scientists perceive are the major threats to Caribbean coral reefs?

[Steve Mussman]

   Hi Mike,
   I was just enumerating the specific threats that had been mentioned. I'm
   glad you commented because I'm not qualified to evaluate or compare current
   or potential impacts. I'm just more interested in learning. But now it seems
   you  have raised yet another provocative question. I don't think it is
   disputed that the decline of coral reefs in a number of regions started well
   before any appreciable warming. With that said, is it possible that the
   dynamics have shifted or would you assert that the factors that initiated
   the  decline continue to be the fundamental problem? It would still be
   interesting to see how the experts would prioritize the threats today. I
   guess it is unscientific to even speculate, but if it points primarily to
   anthropomorphic  causation wouldn't population growth have to head the
   list?


   Steve




   -----Original Message-----
   >From: Michael Risk
   >Sent: Apr 17, 2014 7:07 AM
   >To: Steve Mussman , Ellen McRae , coral-list
   >Subject: Re: [Coral-List] What do coral reef scientists perceive are the
   major threats to Caribbean coral reefs?
   >
   >Hello Steve.
   >
   >Hurricanes have been around for a long time. They leave characteristic
   >sedimentary deposits that have been identified in the Silurian, for one
   >(old ref by Norm Duke). So No, they cannot be listed as a major threat.
   >What is new is the inability of reefs to recover from hurricane damage.
   >
   >Far as ocean warming/bleaching: same story. The record clearly shows
   >the decline started well before any major bleaching, or any appreciable
   >warming.
   >
   >Mike
   >
   >On Thu, 17 Apr 2014 04:27:32 -0400 (GMT-04:00)
   > Steve Mussman wrote:
   >>
   >> Hi Ellen,
   >>
   >>
   >> Based on the lists posted by Sarah Young I believe hurricanes
   >> should have
   >> been included. Someone playfully suggested that I listed disease
   >> twice for
   >> emphasis, but it was just a dumb mistake. Your suggestions could
   >> certainly
   >> be added as well. I'm even more interested in how any such list
   >> would be
   >> prioritized by this community. I imagine that finding consensus on
   >> how the
   >> top dozen threats should be listed in order of significance would
   >> be the
   >> greater challenge. Some of the threats seem to overlap and
   >> regional
   >> differences come into play, but I would venture to guess that
   >> while all
   >> these issues are ominous and dispiriting, ocean warming and
   >> acidification
   >> would be consistently rated on or near the top.
   >>
   >>
   >> Regards,
   >>
   >> Steve
   >>
   >>
   >> -----Original Message-----
   >> From: Ellen McRae
   >> Sent: Apr 16, 2014 10:03 PM
   >> To: Steve Mussman , coral-list
   >> Subject: Re: [Coral-List] What do coral reef scientists perceive
   >> are the
   >> major threats to Caribbean coral reefs?
   >> Hello Steve and all
   >> Nrs 2 and 7 are Disease in your list. Could one of them be
   >> replaced with
   >> Pollution (land and sea-based); also add UV/atmospheric
   >> degradation?
   >> Best wishes,
   >> Ellen McRae
   >> FAMRACC
   >> Belize
   >> On Tue, Apr 15, 2014 at 7:52 AM, Steve Mussman wrote:
   >> >
   >> > While it is certainly a challenge to clearly portray the
   >> synergy of
   >> > impacts
   >> > that multiple stressors have on coral reefs without confusing
   >> people
   >> > into
   >> > inertia, the issue is being greatly distorted by a deliberate
   >> campaign
   >> > designed to continue the debate based on promoting the false
   >> proposition
   >> > that there is a substantial level of scientific disunity. I
   >> donât
   >> > really see
   >> > that beyond the fringes and would argue that a clear consensus
   >> exists.
   >> > The
   >> > eleven threats listed below seem to provide obvious support
   >> for Alina's
   >> > case
   >> > for primacy of human causation. So while people may be the
   >> solution,
   >> > they
   >> > can't possibly provide a satisfactory resolution without first
   >> > recognizing
   >> > and accepting their role as primary drivers of the problem at
   >> hand.
   >> >
   >> >
   >> >
   >> > 1.Ocean warming 2.Disease 3.Ocean acidification 4.Overfishing
   >> > 5.Sedimentation 6.Coral bleaching 7.Disease 8.Coastal
   >> development
   >> > 9.Human
   >> > population growth 10.Algal competition 11.Laws and
   >> enforcement.
   >> >
   >> >
   >> >
   >> > Regards,
   >> >
   >> > Steve
   >> > _______________________________________________
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   >> >
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   >
   >Mike Risk
   >Marine Ecologist
   >PO Box 1195
   >Durham Ontario
   >N0G 1R0