[Coral-List] NOAA Final Report

[Dennis Hubbard]

This all really sounds too much  like "Nero fiddling while Rome burned".
I'm not going to argue here for or against any realistic option, but I
would suggest that a) putting each on a slip of paper, b)  trying the first
one we pull out, and c) picking another if that doesn't work until
something works. I fully and openly admit that this is a non-scientific
(i.e., "dumb") approach, but I would suggest that it makes more sense than
doing nothing until we all wait for something we can all agree on. Our
track record is less than stellar.

Denny

On Tue, Aug 15, 2023 at 6:57 AM Steve Mussman via Coral-List <
coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> wrote:

>
> Hi Gene,
>
> “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”.
>
> I don’t think anyone is claiming that climate change is the only factor in
> the demise of corals along the Florida reef tract. A recent article in
> Nature points out that local efforts to control land based pollutants and
> overfishing are important, but that climate change has the potential to
> “fry” coral reefs even if these local stressors are brought under control.
>
> https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02512-w
>
> You conclude with the statement that “ . . . 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”.
>
> My question to you is assuming you are in support of protecting and
> conserving coral reefs, how else can we manage to neutralize such forces as
> climate change, overpopulation and coastal development without those often
> maligned “government regulations”? You point out that tourism is still
> being promoted in the Keys and throughout the Caribbean, doesn’t this
> support the contention that left to their own devices, we cannot rely on
> industries to responsibly regulate themselves?
>
> Regards,
>
> Steve Mussman
>
> On 8/13/23, 3:24 PM, Eugene Shinn via Coral-List <
> coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> wrote:
>
> Dear Jennifer and all involved in preparing the huge document re
>
> habitats and 5 species of coral proposed for special protection.
>
> 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
>
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>
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>
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>
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>
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-- 
Dennis Hubbard - Emeritus Professor: Dept of Geology-Oberlin College
Oberlin OH 44074
(440) 935-4014

* "When you get on the wrong train.... every stop is the wrong stop"*
 Benjamin Stein: "*Ludes, A Ballad of the Drug and the Dream*"