GCRA
OVERVIEW
FAQ
NEWS
ARTICLES
PHOTOS
REEF ISSUES
RESTORATION
PAPERS
LINKS
|
|
|
|
Can Global Warming Be
Studied Too Much? Continued "studying" and equivocation are the death sentence for coral reefs. More than 10 years ago, using NOAA satellite data, we could predict when, where, and how badly corals would bleach and die from high temperatures-but no action was taken. Heat stroke killed most corals in the Indian Ocean in 1998 and in the South Pacific in 2002. Surviving corals are being decimated by new diseases. Corals are already at their maximum temperature limit: they can tolerate no more. It is only a question of when global warming finishes off what is left. It is already too late to delay reef ecosystem extinction from global warming; yet, the little funding that exists for reefs has largely gone to monitoring coral death in "protected" sanctuaries, not for preventive or restorative action. When coral reefs are gone, over 100 countries will lose most of their marine biodiversity, fisheries, tourism, and shore protection. There is a ray of hope. In the Maldives, corals charged with a trickle of electricity from solar panels survived catastrophic mortality that killed 95-99% of corals on surrounding reefs. Pilot projects using this "Biorock" technology are running in eight countries. Biorock projects have turned eroding beaches in the Maldives into growing beaches and are so full of fish that they have become major tourism attractions and being used to restore fisheries in Indonesia, Panama, and Mexico. These accomplishments have received the Theodore M. Sperry Award for pioneers and innovators from the Society for Ecological Restoration, the Maldives Environment Prize, the KONAS award for best coastal zone management project in Indonesia, and the SKAL Award for best underwater ecotourism project in the world. While results are extremely promising, large-scale applications are needed immediately. We are losing a race against time. Thomas J. Goreau, Ph.D.,
President, Global Coral Reef Alliance |
|