[Coral-List] Consensus statements in general

Wed Oct 28 15:01:23 EDT 2015

Dear Steve,

Both statements have a rationale. Local and Global stressors affect
coral reefs spatially in timescales (duration, frequency, intensity)
according to concentration / exposure to pollutants and / or other
stress factors.

We should try to convince local managers / developers with the ICRS
statement while the ISRS statement as it was written pretend to
influence top decision makers such presidents and ministers, in
general, through engaging participants at the meeting in Paris COP21.

If we do want to have a positive impact #GlobalBehaviorChange to more
environmental friendly behaviors then, it is not time for denials
about the potential negative effect of local pollution and overfishing
on coral reefs. On the basis of precautionary principle besides the
many scientific publications, it is advisable to think global and act
locally being each one of us examples of not polluters or
over-fishers.

Local governments should not allow sewage water run-off sediments,
chemicals, oil explorations / exploitations among a long list of local
stressors close to coral reef areas and conservation efforts should be
more effective in the control of these unsustainable developing
activities.

When I mentioned in a past post, the need to consider all levels, I
was also thinking in the relevance of involving scientists,
communities and citizens to engage them in a trend of
#GlobalBehaviorChange cause the general public wants to know what they
can do to help from their houses and offices. We are all
decision-makers at different levels.

In the Society for Conservation Biology SCB, we have formed a Coral
Reefs Working Group with Conservation Scientists. We are preparing
statements to deliver in the following International Coral Reef
meetings. All interested scientists in this field are welcome to join
us.

Nohora Galvis
SCB Member
Coral Reefs Working Group

2015-10-27 12:46 GMT-05:00, Steve Mussman <sealab at earthlink.net>:
> Dear Listers,
>
> As I mentioned in an earlier post, I recognize that coral scientists are not
> of one mind, but I need to be able to gauge the level of support that exists
> for the consensus statement recently put out by the ISRS. (It can be found
> here):
> https://www.openchannels.org/sites/default/files/ISRS%20Consensus%20Statement%20on%20Coral%20Bleaching%20%26%20Climate%20Change.pdf
>
> It differs somewhat from an earlier (2012) ICRS consensus statement found
> here: http://www.icrs2012.com/Consensus_Statement.htm
>
> I understand that there are differences between these two declarations, but
> I want to focus on their similarities.
>
> They both emphasize the fact that climate change presents perhaps the
> ultimate threat to coral reefs. As I see it, the ISRS statement focuses only
> on CO2 emissions whereas the ICRS statement goes on to mention more about
> the role of local stressors.
>
> Rather than debate every minutia, is it accurate to assume that the coral
> science community generally supports the spirit and intent of both
> statements?  I think that it does, but quietude is difficult to interpret.. I
> need feedback and getting scientists to commit is apparently like herding
> cats. I don't expect 8,000 responses, but can someone just step up and
> publicly confirm or reject my basic supposition?
>
> Thanks,
> Steve
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
>>From: Steve Mussman <sealab at earthlink.net>
>>Sent: Oct 23, 2015 11:49 AM
>>To: "coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov" <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
>>Subject: [Coral-List] Consensus statement and sunscreens
>>
>>I recognize that coral scientists are not of one mind, but can I say
>> categorically that the consensus statement recently put out by the ISRS
>> (International Society for Reef Studies) has as close to universal backing
>> as is possible considering the divergent nature of independent thought?  I
>> want to promote it within the diving industry, but don't want to portray
>> it as having a unifying level of support if that turns out to be a
>> distortion of the facts.
>>
>>As for sunscreen toxicity, I am concerned that statements like "any small
>> effort to reduce oxybenzone pollution could mean that a coral reef
>> survives a long, hot summer, or that a degraded area recovers" could be
>> misleading in that it may be taken to suggest that we can offset the
>> impacts of other local and global stressors if we can just manage to
>> eliminate sunblock. PADI's website now contains a cautionary message about
>> sunscreens and their effect on corals and even goes further to mention
>> that other threats such as coastal pollution, overfishing, and marine
>> debris are a greater threat to marine life . . . but still there remains
>> no mention of climate change.
>>
>>Steve Mussman
>>Sea Lab Diving

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