[Coral-List] Coral restoration trashing

Thu Aug 24 02:06:49 UTC 2023

Bula Doug,

I agree that if we do not deal with the root causes of coral population
decline, that we are indeed treating symptoms not root causes.  However the
treatment for this fatal heat induced condition is not yet available and so
far it is only talk.  The doctors know what needs to be applied but it is
nowhere in sight.  So our patient will be dead long before the long term
cure is applied.  So we deal with the scratches, or we deal with other
acute problems like water quality issues, overfishing issues, physical
damage issues, etc, in the hope that it will help.  But without a massive
transformation away from carbon or some unknown cooling or civilization
ending event like a super volcano or carrington level mass coronal ejection
event, we will not be able to prevent the demise of coral reef systems.

The patient analogy breaks down as the injury has not yet been
fully inflicted, and there are still some very healthy reefs.  This is why
I use the forest analogy.  Do foresters continue replanting trees during a
major drought or when a firestorm approaches?  I think not!  Perhaps now
restoration practitioners will also realize that they can not continue to
plant corals the same way that they did in the past, in the face of
increasingly severe marine heat waves.  New coral focused approaches are
needed, as the best we can do is to preserve coral biodiversity by whatever
means we have until we see better days.

The situation is increasingly grave with the recent ocean heat spike.  The
last holdout in the South Pacific, Tuvalu is now predicted to be heading to
condition two bleaching by November, the first time in their history.
Funafuti Atoll contains the most amazing thickets of Acropora I have ever
seen, reminiscent of the Discovery Bay Jamaica populations of the 1960s.
The largest colonies of thick-branched Acropora corals that I have ever
seen, with individual colonies of some species like  A. florida some 5-6
meters across, many located within a shallow hot lagoon area.  The mass
die-off of these corals would be tragic, and so we are working with an NGO
in Funafuti and are trying to raise the funds right now for some major
action- to move samples of as many of these colonies out to cooler waters.
We will be updating the Global Giving plea specifically for Tuvalu, but for
now this is what we have.
https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/super-corals-for-reefs-of-hope-in-warming-oceans/

The data will be simple: numbers of genotypes and species secured into
cooler nurseries under shade, their health and survival over the subsequent
months as compared to the source colonies remaining in warmer waters, plus
the logger data from donor and nursery sites.

We are also continuing this approach in our Fiji sites, and are seeking the
funding to do major collection from the extensive hot pocket reefs off the
north shores of the main island, which to date still contains amazing
populations of heat-adapted corals, whose days may be numbered.  Visit
these amazing sites on Google Earth to fully appreciate this fleeting
opportunity.

If anyone wants to assist or to get their own data on the developing event,
please contact me.

Regards,

Austin

Austin Bowden-Kerby, PhD
Corals for Conservation
P.O. Box 4649 Samabula, Fiji Islands

https://www.corals4conservation.org
Publication on C4C's coral-focused climate change adaptation strategies:
https://www.mdpi.com/2673-1924/4/1/2/pdf
Film on our "Reefs of Hope" coral restoration for climate change adaptation
strategies:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BG0lqKciXAA
TEDx talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PRLJ8zDm0U
https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/super-corals-for-reefs-of-hope-in-warming-oceans/

Teitei Livelihoods Centre
Km 20 Sigatoka Valley Road, Fiji Islands
(679) 938-6437
http:/www.
<http://permacultureglobal.com/projects/1759-sustainable-environmental-livelihoods-farm-Fiji>
teiteifiji.org
http://permacultureglobal.com/projects/1759-sustainable-environmental-livelihoods-farm-Fiji
https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/happy-chickens-for-food-security-and-environment-1/

On Thu, Aug 24, 2023 at 6:04 AM Douglas Fenner via Coral-List <
coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> wrote:

> Phanor,
>    I think there is substance to what you are saying.
>
>    However, in my view, coral restoration is treating the symptoms, not the
> causes.  The old saying "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"
> applies here I think.  It IS true that in medicine there are diseases such
> as colds where you can't treat the cause, only the symptoms, and cold
> medicines all treat the symptoms, not the cause.  For many medical
> problems, both are treated, I think.  I have NO problem with that.  But if
> you can, treating the cause is vastly better than treating the symptoms.
> And we know what the causes of global warming are, and how to stop that.
>
>     One problem is that not all these things are equal.  If we don't get
> climate change under control, coral reefs will be devastated within 20-30
> years we are told, 90% or more mortality.  May happen sooner.  No amount of
> coral restoration will keep the corals alive when bleaching is killing
> everything, even the most temperature-tolerant corals will be killed if the
> temperatures go too high and if we don't take actions on emissions, they
> are CERTAIN to go too high.  I hope it doesn't come to that, but if we keep
> on like we are (we = the entire world but primarily the big emitters like
> China, the US, EU, etc) there is little hope.  So far, the rate of
> emissions of greenhouse gases over the whole world have not even started to
> decrease.  That doesn't bode well.  People are scrambling to save the
> corals they were growing for restoration.  They don't have much choice.
> This is an indicator of what is to come if the world doesn't start acting
> more decisively on global warming.
>
> If we stop climate change and global warming, but don't do coral
> restoration, the reefs will stay pretty much like they are now, and in much
> of the Indo-Pacific, which is the elephant of coral reefs, that's actually
> not bad right now.  If we do coral restoration and don't stop global
> warming, we can kiss our coral reefs goodbye.
>
>      Coral restoration is not able to undo what global warming is doing to
> coral reefs.  It can help small, high-value areas and can work really well
> with good water quality and lack of mass bleaching.
>
>      Not to mention in a place like Florida, the water quality is so bad
> that corals you plant out are pretty much doomed as another poster just
> pointed out.
>
>       We're all incredibly frustrated, we as individuals can't stop
> emissions, only whole societies can, and it will cost serious money.
> However, not taking enough action to reduce emissions will lead to far
> greater economic losses and the deaths of huge numbers of people.
> Something like 60,000 people in Europe died of heat in Europe last year,
> and that wasn't nearly as bad as this year and the future.
>
>       So we and the corals are in a really bad fix, and there is no easy
> way out.  Societies such as the US have been misled into doubting that
> climate change is real and that humans cause it, in spite of mountains of
> scientific evidence that both of those are true, which has delayed action
> and put us in this mess.  Other societies don't want to spend the
> big money, which is understandable unless you consider the costs of
> inaction.  Everybody wants someone else to put the bell on the cat.  I
> completely sympathize with those grasping at straws, and particularly
> because coral gardening works so well.
>
>        I am reminded of an analogy I've posted before.  If you have a
> patient that is bleeding profusely from the aorta, and has a small scratch,
> and you are a competent emergency physician, which should you treat????  If
> you don't stop that bleeding, the patient will be dead in a few short
> minutes or less!!  The scratch can wait.  It's called "triage."  Threats to
> life are NOT equal.  Treating a scratch, and some coral restoration, are
> now in the position of being "rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic."
> Well-meaning, works great in some locations until mass bleaching kills
> nearly everything.  But don't we have to face up to reality??
>
> Cheers, Doug
>
> On Mon, Aug 21, 2023 at 10:11 PM Phanor Hernando Montoya Maya via
> Coral-List <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> wrote:
>
> > Luiz, thank you very much for your message. Such a comment coming from a
> > non-restoration practitioner or scientist is precious.
> >
> > I hope your comment stops the confrontation between passive (i.e.,
> > protection) and active (i.e., restoration) coral reef conservation
> > scientists. Although on different fronts, we all work on the same goal or
> > interest: resilient coral reefs, right? Let's stop wasting our energy and
> > time arguing between us! Polluters, climate change deniers, among others
> > responsible for coral reef deterioration, laugh at us when every time we
> > engage in another argument.
> >
> > Why is it so difficult to understand that only a joint siege strategy
> that
> > combines proactive (i.e., effective impact control) and reactive (i.e.,
> > assisted ecosystem recovery) restoration efforts might give us a better
> > chance to achieve our goal?  This strategy must be defined and
> implemented
> > by all parties involved. With circa 80 years of coral reef science, we
> all
> > know why, how, and what we need to do. Then, let's join forces and seek
> > the political will needed to fund and implement a coral reef conservation
> > campaign.
> >
> > Best,
> > Phanor
> >
> >
> > Phanor H Montoya Maya, Ph.D. (CERP 0514)
> >
> > Coral Restoration Program Manager
> >
> > Phone: +1-305-522-3690
> >
> > Work Phone: +1-786-780-2660
> >
> >
> >
> > Coral Restoration Foundation™
> >
> > coralrestoration.org
> >
> >
> >
> > Headquarters
> >
> > 89111 Overseas Hwy, Tavernier, Florida 33070
> >
> >
> >
> > Exploration Center
> >
> > 5 Seagate Blvd, Key Largo, Florida 33037
> >
> >
> >
> > INSTAGRAM @coralrestorationfoundation
> >
> > FACEBOOK CoralRestorationFoundation
> >
> > TWITTER @coralcrf
> >
> > Dr. Phanor Montoya: Restaurando Arrecifes Coralinos | TED Talk
> > <
> >
> https://www.ted.com/talks/dr_phanor_montoya_restaurando_arrecifes_coralinos
> > >
> >
> >
> > > ------------------------------
> > >
> > > Message: 2
> > > Date: Sun, 20 Aug 2023 08:07:36 -0700
> > > From: Luiz Rocha <lrocha at calacademy.org>
> > > To: Coral List <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
> > > Subject: [Coral-List] Coral restoration trashing
> > > Message-ID:
> > >         <CAGRWgp7Buvzoa-tT_Mr4tsAPubGEGcWnqVPfBgrkPoEoCnN=
> > > Dg at mail.gmail.com>
> > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
> > >
> > > Alright, I've had it. I am sick and tired of the constant trashing and
> > > criticism that coral restoration projects and that any science even
> > > remotely related to restoration are getting. Even though I don't work
> on
> > it
> > > (directly or indirectly) I know a lot of scientists working on coral
> > > restoration. And I also know a lot of restoration projects. Not a
> single
> > > one of them has ever said that the solution for the coral reef crysis
> is
> > > coral restoration. This is hyperbole created either by the media and
> the
> > > critics of coral restoration.
> > >
> > > Now more specifically about the critiques to every kind of science
> > related
> > > to restoration. If we put together all of the dollars that went into
> > coral
> > > restoration science, in all of human history, that adds up to (very
> > > graciously) about half a billion dollars. For those that keep saying
> that
> > > we can solve the climate crisis with coral restoration dollars, please,
> > > please, tell me how 500 million dollars would solve climate change. If
> > you
> > > sit down and really think about it, I hope you realize that climate
> > change
> > > is not a money problem. We have the money and the solutions to do it.
> > What
> > > we do not have is the political will.
> > >
> > > And for those that keep saying that corals in air conditioned aquaria
> are
> > > not a solution, rhinos in zoos aren't either, so should we kill them
> all
> > > and be done with it? The only surviving individuals of unique genetic
> > > lineages of several species that used to be in Florida are now only
> alive
> > > in aquaria. So let's use the few hundreds of thousands of dollars being
> > > used to keep them alive to convince Ron De Santis and Donald Trump that
> > > climate change is real. Yeah, that's gonna work. These dollars (even if
> > > dollars could solve climate change, which they won't) are not competing
> > > with climate change dollars. That's like asking to stop funding coral
> > > taxonomy because giving coral species names is only rearranging the
> > chairs
> > > in the Titanic. That argument can be used for any branch of science
> that
> > is
> > > not fighting climate change. And it is not true.
> > >
> > > So, get off your horses, fight climate change the best way you can, and
> > > keep doing science, even if it's not related to climate change. Because
> > it
> > > will help.
> > >
> > > Cheers,
> > >
> > > Luiz
> > >
> > > Luiz A. Rocha, Ph.D.
> > > Curator and Follett Chair of Ichthyology
> > > Co-Director, Hope For Reefs Initiative
> > >
> > > California Academy of Sciences
> > >
> > > p. 415.379.5370
> > >
> > > LRocha at calacademy.org
> > > Academic Website
> > > <https://www.calacademy.org/staff/ibss/ichthyology/luiz-a-rocha>
> > >
> > > 55 Music Concourse Drive
> > > Golden Gate Park
> > > San Francisco, CA 94118
> > >
> > > Twitter <https://twitter.com/CoralReefFish> | Instagram
> > > <https://www.instagram.com/coralreeffish/>
> > >
> > >
> > > ------------------------------
> > >
> > > Subject: Digest Footer
> > >
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> > > ------------------------------
> > >
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