[Coral-List] Another Approach

[Austin Bowden-Kerby]

Phil,  a good out of the box idea and it might work if it were well
coordinated and controlled.
But there are several problems I can think of off the top of my head:

1. Reef keeper aquarists may mix species from different oceans or contain
them in the same room, and thus disease organisms, and symbionts and
microbial communities might be shared, and if so, then how can they be
reintroduced safely?
2. If the power goes out due to any longer term disturbance, then
everything dies.
3. The marine aquarium industry is responsible for introductions of many
invasive species into the Caribbean, so it is a can of worms.

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




On Thu, Aug 24, 2023 at 6:26 AM Phillip Dustan via Coral-List <
coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> wrote:

> Greetings Listers,
> Dr. Katie Muzak recently alerted me to a Washington Post article about
> ongoing attempts to prevent the extinction of the endemic akikiki bird on
> Maui which is facing loss of habitat and mosquitos. Then came the fires on
> Maui which threatened the very human sanctuaries that had been built for
> the bird.
>  A similar process is playing out with corals around the world,
> especially . in Florida.  While we may not like the idea, zoos are
> becoming extinction sanctuaries, not just prison camps for animals. But
> these efforts are not nearly enough. As daunting a challenge as it is, I
> would like to call your attention to a seemingly untapped resource we
> "people of science" seem to discount and that is the thousands of reef
> aquarists that routinely keep corals alive in captivity. In fact, they have
> turned it into a multimillion dollar global industry, even
> manufacturing their own seawater!  FYI, aquarium keeping  is one of the
> largest hoppies on the planet.
>   The distributed nature of the "hobby" combined with the expertise of the
> aquarists suggests to me that a very large network could be created to care
> for and propagate Caribbean corals, similar to what is now occurring with
> Indo-Pacific species. Their skills are amazing and by creating a large
> distributed network they could establish metapopulations that would be far
> less prone to extinction than the few facilities now in operation.
> Aquarists in countries throughout the Caribbean could collaborate with
> their government and university agencies to establish metapopulations
> within metapopulations throughout the region.
> I would bet that Aquarists, who have developed the knowledge and have the
> enthusiasm, would be enthusiastic  to help prevent the extinction of the
> Caribbean reef corals. For sure, it would take some changes in existing
> regulations and some change in attitudes, but  I'll bet the salt water
> aquarium community would welcome the opportunity to participate. A few
> highly controlled "Noah's Arks" cannot compare to the resilience provided
> by having hundreds, if not thousands of reef aquaria.
> I think it is time to think a little out-of-the-box and entrust the future
> of reefs to more than "science", restoration, management and government
> regulations.
> Just imagine the possibilities!
> Phil
> --
>
>
>
> 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*
>
> *A Swim Through TIme on Carysfort Reef*
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCPJE7UE6sA
> *Raja Ampat Sustainability Project video*
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RR2SazW_VY&fbclid=IwAR09oZkEk8wQkK6LN3XzVGPgAWSujACyUfe2Ist__nYxRRSkDE_jAYqkJ7A
> *Bali Coral Bleaching 2016 video*
>
> *https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxOfLTnPSUo
> <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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>