[Coral-List] NOAA Final Report

[Eugene Shinn]

Dear Jennifer and all involved in preparing the huge document re 
habitats and 5 species of coral proposed for special protection. 
<https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/final-rule-designate-critical-habitat-threatened-caribbean-corals> 
<https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/final-rule-designate-critical-habitat-threatened-caribbean-corals> 
However, I do not fully agree that creating more government regulations 
will solve the problem. I may not have read the document closely enough 
but I gather the basic conclusion is that most if not all of the current 
coral demise can be attributed to climate change. If so, there may 
be little that can be done at the local level to prevent continued 
demise. It is well documented that there are other causes for demise 
that are mainly related to increasing development. For example, National 
TV continues to advertise and promote tourism to the Florida Keys and 
other locations in the Caribbean. Of course that is necessary for the 
economy and will continue in spite of climate change.

       In addition to climate change there remains many local problems 
such as ground water pollution from septic tanks and treatment 
facilities. In the keys there are also shallow disposal wells. These 
wells, generally little more than 100 ft deep, dispose of treated fresh 
water into the underlying saline aquifer. Once injected this less saline 
water floats upward to the overlying fresh water lens which has been 
shown to move laterally toward the Atlantic side of the Keys and the 
coral reefs. This movement is caused by tidal pumping driven by the 
higher bay-side water level. Seaward movement of shallow groundwater has 
been demonstrated in the past using monitoring wells and florescent dyes 
including bacterial phages. The nutrient-rich water leaks from the 
porous limestone during low tides when bay side water levels are higher. 
I may have missed it but I saw none of this mentioned or referenced in 
the approximately 250 references cited.  Of these references the vast 
majority are studies published since 2000.  As a result the classic 
papers by R. N. Ginsburg and Judith Lang (including the AGRA reports) 
and many others including those by former Sanctuary members are missing. 
Also missing is the huge USGS compilation by B. H. Lidz (highlighted 
recently in vol 80 issue 8 of the coral-list).

      Once again, I appreciate the desire to stop Keys and 
Caribbean-Wide coral demise but as long as climate change and population 
rise and development continues these expensive politically driven 
efforts will likely continue to fail. Gene