Coral Reefs: important status report

The Coral Reef Alliance, an international organization dedicated to coral reef conservation, is another good group worth looking into. They were participants in the recent International Coral Reef Symposium and are promoting the final report issued by NOAA with the formidable title of The State of Coral Reef Ecosystems of the United States and Pacific Freely Associated States: 2008. The 569-page report covers all the issues regarding our Pacific and Atlantic reefs but there are highlights or select chapters you can download and read. Here are a couple of interesting points about coral reefs:

• Approximately half of the coral reef ecosystems covered in the report are considered to be in 'poor' or 'fair' condition, having declined over time due to natural and man-made causes.
• Twenty-five percent of all marine species live and grow on coral reefs, including almost half of the fish caught by the commercial fishing industry.
• Serving as natural wave barriers, healthy coral reefs protect coastal communities from damaging storms and tsunamis.
• Considered more biologically diverse than rain forests, coral reefs have already provided the raw materials for lifesaving medical treatments like the HIV drug AZT.

If you're a traveling scuba diver, then you know how important coral reefs are to the local fishermen and tourism trade, let alone the health of the overall marine ecosystem. But if you're land-locked in the middle of Kansas, don't think that you don't have an impact. Pollution and global warming are affecting reefs thousands of miles away. And with the loss of these reefs, come changes in the delicate chemical and moisture exchange between the ocean and the atmosphere, causing changes in temperatures, affecting currents and winds, and so on . . . right back to climate change issues. It's all part of the puzzle.

Coral Reefs: the threats continue to grow

The week-long International Coral Reef Symposium, being held in Fort Lauderdale, FL, wraps up today having brought together nearly 3,000 scientists to discuss issues and possible solutions to address the ongoing degradation of our coral reef ecosystems. Many of the results and discussions are making their way into scientific journals and newspapers worldwide.

You have all probably heard about how corals reefs have been negatively impacted by pollution, climate change, and the souvenir trade from the Caribbean to the South Pacific. The latest worldwide assessment of over 700 species shows 32.8% threatened with extinction, with a capital E. With the loss of these reefs, the inevitable domino effect follows with the loss of fish and other animal life - which carries an economic impact on tourism and subsistence fisherman in many of these tropical locales.

When I do underwater presentations as a volunteer diver at the Aquarium of the Pacific back home in Southern California, I try to impress upon the audience the importance of these marine ecosystems even though they may be thousands of miles away - they can never be "out of sight, out of mind."

• Non-biodegradable trash (plastic bags, styrofoam, etc.) and chemicals (oil, fertilizers) originating from the California coast, can travel thousands of miles to tropical locales.
• Carbon emissions and its subsequent effect on temperatures impact the coral in a variety of ways, from disrupting the symbiotic relationship of internally-stored zooxanthellae (single-celled algae) to an increase in external algae and bacteria that crowds out or kills coral species.
• Conversely, the loss of faraway coral reefs effects the chemical balance of the seas and the exchange of chemicals between sea and air, which in turn can affect temperature gradients, currents, and winds - all of which can impact us worldwide.

Just another example of all we're all connected - land, sea and air - from coral to humans, we're all part of Nature. Here's some links to learn more about what you can do: NOAA, Nature.org.

New study shows that Hawaiian reef fish are in decline - Los Angeles Times

Another great article in Wednesday's Los Angeles Times from Ken Weiss (read online version). Ken has a great knack for taking scientific data and putting into laymen's terms while also fairly presenting all sides of an issue.

Here we have a study from the International Coral Reef Symposium that documents that the Hawaiian Islands are clearly showing reef fish in decline, with as much as 75% of the species critically affected. The populations of reef fish play a critical role in maintaining healthy coral reefs "by grazing on algae that can quickly overgrow the stony corals and cause them to collapse." The primary culprit appears to be overfishing. Of additional concern is the fact that international authorities and local governments have not been effectively monitoring the take by recreational and small-scale subsistence fishermen, only the commercial operations - a bit like monitoring gas consumption among commercial trucks and ignoring the passenger vehicles.

If ever there was a need for better regulations and setting aside protected reserves, this is it. Then of course there is one of my favorite solutions: investing in more and better aquaculture. If you're a US citizen, remember: Hawaii is our 50th state, part of the team. So, check with the Oceanic Institute and NOAA to see what you can do to help our Pacific Paradise maintain its aquatic beauty.