[Coral-List] A plan to save coral reefs

Tue Aug 13 15:52:26 UTC 2019

Hi Steve.

I thank you for recognising that we are superheroes. I, however, am not as sanguine about reef biologists as are you. My superpower is the ability to detect bovine excrement.

The problem with Happer's comments is, there are grains of truth. He is not lying, he is dividing to conquer. And he will find reef biology is already divided, so his task will be much easier.

We have just seen recent examples on this thread of biologists denying or downplaying the role of LBSP, on insufficient, unconvincing, or simply mythical data. Ten years ago I said (I hate people who quote themselves) "Some of this debate is no doubt truly driven by responsible people going where the data lead, but a cynic might note the confluence of development money and political pressure with the willingness of suits to say it’s OK to dump/
dredge/clear/whatever, because it’s all grazing and overfishing."

There has never been unity among the biologists. Meanwhile, the earth scientists are producing carbonate budgets, modelling sediment deposition, suggesting discharge limits, analysing isotopes...the contrast is striking.

Mike
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From: Coral-List [coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov] on behalf of Steve Mussman via Coral-List [coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov]
Sent: August 13, 2019 10:34 AM
To: Phillip Dustan; Coral List
Subject: Re: [Coral-List] A plan to save coral reefs

Hi Phil,

That’s pretty much how I see it, but let me ask you if my greater fears have any validity.

It appears to me that the legislation under consideration (The Restoring Resilient Reefs Act of 2019) exemplifies a calculated strategy which is being applied by some governments (e.g. USA/Australia) in an attempt to further delay having to deal directly with the “wicked problems” as you call them. The most insidious aspect of this approach is that it can serve to entrap the coral science community by making them appear to be complicit. By investing in monitoring and restoration, governments can offer much needed resources to coral researchers who in turn give something of an implied (although perhaps unwitting) endorsement to the government’s policy positions through their acceptance and participation.

 All the while, major stressors are being diminished by characterizations like this one attributed to the (USA)NSC in another article about the proposed legislation (https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article233580062.html).   “National Security Council officials issued a challenge to the scientific consensus that warming oceans pose an intensifying mortal threat to coral reef systems”, "There is no evidence that coral bleaching is intensifying now or will in the future, coral reefs have bleached and usually recovered throughout their evolutionary history."

You said “We should all stop pontificating and get serious . . . .”  I would add stop pandering as well. . . either that, or get on with the cryofreezing!

Regards,

Steve

P.S. Let me add that I draw these conclusions reluctantly. I hold the coral science community in the highest regard. To me you are superheroes and I hope that my somewhat cynical depiction proves to be blatantly unfounded.

Sent from EarthLink Mobile mail

On 8/12/19, 9:44 AM, Phillip Dustan <phil.dustan at gmail.com> wrote:

 Please, y'all

    Give me a break-

Monitoring and restoration can't fix what's broken.

Nor will putting all the corals in an aquarium zoo.....

As much as the Coral Reef Task Force did for NOAA's budget, it did not stop the reefs from dying.

It's throwing good money after bad until we take the bull by the horns and solve the wicked problems.

We should all stop pontificating and get serious....

Maybe we should cryofreeze everything with an automatic release back into the biosphere after humans have gone extinct!

On Mon, Aug 12, 2019 at 9:38 AM Steve Mussman via Coral-List <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> wrote:

Headline reads: Florida’s coral reefs are in trouble. Here’s a new $160 million plan to save them.

The Restoring Resilient Reefs Act of 2019 “will ensure future generations will be able to enjoy this natural wonder,”

The bill does not explicitly mention climate change, but it does mention that reefs face a challenge of “human-accelerated changes, including increasing ocean temperatures, ocean acidification, coral bleaching, coral diseases, and invasive species.”

“The bill would funnel more money than before into management of reefs through matching state grants, with a focus on restoring reefs where natural disasters and human activities have hurt them.”

Read more here:

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/environment/article233412922.html

Maybe someone can explain how we can “save” coral reefs through restoration (apparently) without addressing climate change and other major stressors.

Regards,

Steve

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--

Phillip Dustan PhD

Charleston SC  29424

843-953-8086 office

843-224-3321 (mobile)

"When we try to pick out anything by itself

we find that it is bound fast by a thousand invisible cords

that cannot be broken, to everything in the universe. "

                                         John Muir 1869

Bali Coral Bleaching 2016 video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxOfLTnPSUo

TEDx Charleston on saving coral reefs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwENBNrfKj4

Google Scholar Citations:

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=HCwfXZ0AAAAJ

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