[Coral-List] Two news stories about coral reefs

[Damien Beri]

We have all seen divers kick over countless coral heads which take many years to grow.  There is simply no economic relation in $ which relates to the time for these corals to grow, and the money that the dive industry makes.  Virtually nothing makes it back to the reefs from the dive industry besides awareness and a few NGOs. It's necessary to have divers, and to share the reef love.  But it's also necessary to all admit to ourselves that every single diver on the planet has at point damaged something living on a reef.  

Sent from my iPhone

> On Aug 19, 2016, at 8:52 PM, Brennan McDonald <brennandmcdonald at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> I agree with you, Douglas. If dive tourism was banned, the communities that rely on it for income may turn to other, less environmentally friendly ways of making a living. For example, I was recently on vacation in Hawaii and went on their famous manta ray night dive. They told me that illegal fishing of manta rays in other parts of the world has increased due to more demand in China, and that each manta was worth between $300 and $400 on the market. But with the diving and ecotourism industry, the value of each manta ray in Hawaii has risen to $1 million over their lifespan. People that could make their living fishing instead turned to ecotourism, and in turn became even more prosperous. Yes, divers do inflict some damage on reefs, but having them dive is much better than the alternative.
>> On Aug 18, 2016, at 2:15 PM, Douglas Ryan <stardiverdwr at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>> If the only people allowed to visit reefs were people close enough to them
>> to hike or bike, reef communities would lose enormous income needed to
>> sustain the communities without raping the reefs.  And whatever you may
>> think of scuba divers and the reef tourism professionals, they are some of
>> the most passionate defenders of coral reefs and excellent ambassadors for
>> the importance of reef conservation.
>> 
>>> On Thursday, August 18, 2016, ROSS POOLEY <pooleyross at hotmail.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Number 1 should be, stop flying in commercial jets from all over the
>>> world,  emitting tonnes of co2 to see the reef.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Sent from my Mi phone
>>> On Douglas Fenner <douglasfennertassi at gmail.com <javascript:;>>, 18 Aug
>>> 2016 19:24 wrote:
>>> 
>>> Five things we can do right now to save the Great Barrier Reef
>>> 
>>> https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/commentisfree/
>>> 2016/jun/13/five-things-we-can-do-right-now-to-save-the-great-barrier-reef
>>> 
>>> The coral die-off crisis is a climate crime, and Exxon fired the gun.
>>> 
>>> https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/aug/17/the-
>>> coral-die-off-crisis-is-a-climate-and-exxon-fired-the-gun?CMP=share_btn_tw
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Cheers,  Doug
>>> 
>>> 
>>> --
>>> Douglas Fenner
>>> Contractor for NOAA NMFS, and consultant
>>> "have regulator, will travel"
>>> PO Box 7390
>>> Pago Pago, American Samoa 96799  USA
>>> 
>>> phone 1 684 622-7084
>>> 
>>> Join the International Society for Reef Studies.  Membership includes a
>>> subscription to the journal Coral Reefs, and there are discounts for pdf
>>> subscriptions and developing countries.  Coral Reefs is the only journal
>>> that is ALL coral reef articles, and it has amazingly LOW prices compared
>>> to other journals.  Check it out!  www.fit.edu/isrs/<http://www.
>>> fit.edu/isrs/>
>>> 
>>> "Belief in climate change is optional, participation is not."- Jim Beever.
>>> "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not to their own facts."-
>>> Daniel Patrick Moynihan.
>>> 
>>> Earth's hot streak continues with warmest May since at least 1880.
>>> 
>>> https://www.yahoo.com/news/climate-just-phoning-now-may-193634823.html
>>> 
>>> The political hurdles facing a carbon tax- and how to overcome them.
>>> 
>>> http://www.vox.com/2016/4/26/11470804/carbon-tax-political-constraints
>>> 
>>> Solar can power more than 100 times America's current electricity needs, a
>>> new report finds
>>> 
>>> http://www.theclimategroup.org/what-we-do/news-and-blogs/
>>> solar-can-power-more-than-100-times-americas-current-
>>> electricity-needs-new-report-finds
>>> 
>>> website:  http://independent.academia.edu/DouglasFenner
>>> 
>>> blog: http://ocean.si.edu/blog/reefs-american-samoa-story-hope
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>> 
>> 
>> -- 
>> 
>> *Douglas Ryan, BA, MA*
>> 
>> *Science, Engineering, Environmental and Underwater Education and Research*
>> 
>> * For the Future, For the Ocean, For the People, For the Planet*
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