[Coral-List] New observational paper on regional eutrophication in the Caribbean

[Eugene Shinn]

I read with interest the post (and published paper) by Wynne S. P. as 
well as the“Vicious circle hypothesis” posted by Pawlik et al., 
concerning sponge health and potential impacts of African dust (coral 
list vol.112, no 12).In reading the paper by Wynne I was struck by the 
thoroughness and complexity of the usual suspects. Amazing how all those 
currents from faraway sources can reach Anguilla, BWI. As pointed out by 
the Pawlik et al., post there was no mention of African Dust. Certainly 
no one can live anywhere in the British West Indies (including Anguilla) 
with out noticing how African Dust clouds occasionally block out the 
sun. Like other islands in the area people there are also probably aware 
that much of their red soil (as on Bahamian Islands) originated in 
Africa. Virtually all the red soil on San Salvador (called Pineapple 
loam) is of atmospheric origin as are the red soils of Bermuda. I assume 
that because the paper is about ecosystem management in Anguilla and 
that various management activities are proposed African dust is excluded 
because it is virtually unmanageable. Since there is much discussion 
regarding nutrients in the Amazon plume it should also be pointed out 
that abundant research has determined the dependence of the Amazon rain 
forest on nutrients carried there by African dust. Certainly those 
nutrients end up in the Amazon River and are carried in its offshore 
plume. Gene

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No Rocks, No Water, No Ecosystem (EAS)
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E. A. Shinn, Courtesy Professor
University of South Florida
College of Marine Science Room 221A
140 Seventh Avenue South
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
<eugeneshinn at mail.usf.edu>
Tel 727 553-1158
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