GCRA
OVERVIEW
FAQ
NEWS
ARTICLES
PHOTOS
REEF ISSUES
RESTORATION
PAPERS
LINKS
|
|
|
|
A Message
to Students About
September 20 2005 Dear Students, Thank you for your letters (at bottom) sent to me by your Science Teacher, Laura Byno. I am sorry it has taken me so long to reply. I am out of reach in the field most of the time, working to save and restore coral reefs. All of the points you are making below are correct. But worldwide the number one killer of corals is increasing temperatures from global warming caused by carbon dioxide from burning oil, coal, and gas, the number two is new diseases which are probably caused by excessive use of chemicals that cause bacteria to mutate and attack new species in new habitats, the number three is land-based sources of pollution, especially sewage and fertilizers. All of these coral killers are caused by people far away from the damage. Only after them, at least on a global scale, come the direct causes of human damage to corals which you discuss, like dredging, anchoring, over fishing, use of poisons and bombs for fishing, deforestation that causes soil to wash away and smother corals, tourists, toxic chemicals, oil spills, etc. Naturally in one place or another a single factor may be more dominant. We can’t save coral reefs unless we get rid of or greatly reduce ALL of the factors killing corals. This means changing our policies and practices regarding energy, agriculture, forestry, sewage, tourism, etc., that is to say almost every aspect of our economy everywhere in the world. So this is not a matter that can be solved by making parks, where the corals are simply dying from outside stresses parks cannot possibly control, it requires a change in all of our entire attitudes to the world around us. Right now our political and economic leaders only value nature for the money that they can make by destroying it (with a few parks and gardens for symbolic value only). Until we start to value nature, and indeed our own quality of life, enough to stop destroying what is left, and start restoring what we have already destroyed, the situation will continue to deteriorate. Based on detailed analysis of measurements of sea surface temperatures made by satellites world wide, I estimate that we will lose almost all the remaining corals to global warming alone within a few years. It is not that people don’t know the facts, it is that they don’t want reality to interfere with their making money any way they can, no matter what the consequences are. The real problem is greed and stupidity, not ignorance. This problem exists everywhere in the world except for a few remote and isolated communities. So it is not true, unfortunately, that if those in charge only were informed about the real situation that they would do the right thing. They DO know, and they have chosen to ignore it. We have talked until we were blue in the face for decades about what we see happening to coral reefs worldwide, but no government or major funding agency has ever listened. In 1992 at the United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro I told the governments of the world that if they did not stop global warming then we would lose most of the corals in the world in the next 10 years to death from heat stroke. They took no action, and indeed most of the corals died just as I warned them. There is very little time left to save what is left, and no sign that governments and funding agencies have learned anything whatever from what has happened. Instead they are being told by self-described experts that the best thing to do is nothing at all. Just wait and it will all come back by itself. Even with your little diving experience, you can tell that this is nonsense. For me, whose father was the world’s first diving marine scientist, whose grandfather took the first good underwater photographs, and who has dived longer in more reefs around the world than any other marine biologist, these expert attitudes and the policies of our politicians and business leaders are simply a death sentence for all coral reefs. While we help local groups to save their reefs around the world, we are fighting a losing battle until we change the people whose policies are leading us straight to mass extinction of coral reefs. Until that happens, the only thing we can do to make a difference is to grow as many corals as we can that grow faster and are more resistant to environmental stress. We have invented a method called Biorock technology, that allows us to grow corals 3-5 times faster than normal, heal from damage more than 20 times faster, and survive bad water quality such as high temperatures that cause coral heat stroke 16-50 times more than surrounding reefs. We keep corals alive under conditions that they would die, and can grow back whole reefs of any size or shape in a few years that are packed with fish in places where corals cannot recover naturally. We have turned severely eroding beaches into 50 feet of growth in a couple years by growing reefs in front of them. You can see photographs of all of this at www.globalcoral.org. Even though we have developed the only method that can keep reefs alive and restore coral reefs and fisheries, all of our work has been done with no money, because governments and funding agencies are just repeating the nonsense that reefs will recover by themselves, and paying their experts a lot of money to tell them what they want to hear: do nothing and all will be fine. So even though we now have the methods to reverse the damage, there is no support to do it on a scale that makes a difference. If these attitudes that prevent restoration do not change very soon, all will be lost. This means you will never see healthy coral reefs and may never even see the damage restored in a way that provides fish for people to eat or sand for their beaches. I am very sorry to have to tell you the painful truth, but this is better for you in the long run than fooling yourself the way our leaders do. Sincerely yours, Thomas J. Goreau, PhD President, Global Coral Reef Alliance
Dear Global Coral Reef Alliance, I have discovered the major discrepancy in the coral reefs, among the Southeastern Asia area. I have written you to give you the following suggestions to save the coral reefs. First I would like you to consider sending a nationwide warning, so that it informs the world of how were misusing our planets oasis. This action can change the amount of pollution in water. Secondly, I would ask you to explain to fishing companies how over fishing can change the homes that the coral reef provides. The process in which raw sewage is dumped into the Ocean is a harmful effect that ruins the oceans population. Also, the disposing of toxic waste which can extremely corrupt the natural balance in the ocean. Sincerely C. A.
In the Pacific Ocean there are many threats to coral reefs. The Pacific Ocean has 25% of the worlds coral reefs and it is decreasing tremendously threw time. There are many causes to this affect. When humans go fishing, it can kill the reefs because of the amount of dynamite used. The human population has raised and that caused coral reefs to decrease. The more humans there are, the more pollution occurs. To help prevent coral reef from extinction we all need to help out. When we go fishing, don’t be selfish and use dynamite, just get what’s needed also don’t be lazy and not throw away trash. Take few more steps and find a trash can. WE NEED YOUR HELP! Sincerely, A.A., L.R., R.S., P.D., L.I.
I think if you make the things that hold the oil stronger and tight there should be no problem for the oil to spill and when there is a storm they should be no ships transporting so the oil won’t spill because of all those crazy waves. And they should throw meat so the sharks can eat it instead of the fish to people can fish and the fish wont be gone. Sincerely, M.C.
The way we can stop the coral reef from dying is stop pollutions from stop spilling oil and stop fishing with dynamite, stop the population of dying will be over. Sincerely, L.L., B.T., L.W.
The coral reefs around Southeast Asia are in danger of being depleted. One reason is the human population is increasing. The more people there are, the more they want to see the coral reefs. So when they go down to see them, they take some as souvenirs. This will deplete the coral reefs. The rising development is also a threat to coral reefs. The rising development will create pollution that will harm the coral reefs. To solve these problems we can designate places for scuba divers, can limit the amount factories are allowed to work to slow down the pollution. Sincerely, I.N., J.J., F.S., R.I. Coral reefs are beautiful to the environment. They should not be destroyed. We would like to help keep them out of danger by reducing over fishing, destructive fishing, and polluting the water. So that means you are going to have to cut down on people fishing and have them fish far away from the coast. Then you would have to watch for people who pollute the water. There’s one idea that we suggest, put in a water cleaner system that would take out harmful chemicals that would hurt the coral reefs. Don’t destroy the coral reefs, help keep them from dying. Sincerely yours,
J.R., J.Y., D.F., J.A., L.T., J.S. We have thought of way to help the Red Sea and Persian Gulf to have cleaner water so that the fish won’t die. One thing we can do is set a limit (law) on how many fish you can catch. Who ever it may concern of sources stop polluting the water, using dynamite, and cyanide. Make a law to stop rising human population in the ocean, by only a few people on a boat at a time. Also stop building houses on the coast. Thank you for listening to our ideas. Sincerely, B.S., S.R., Y.P., J.A.
As you may know the coral reef in the Persian Gulf is being destroyed because of the war in Iraq. The smoke from burning oil fields is going in the ocean and polluting it. It is also warming the water which is killing the coral reef. Maybe you can write a letter to the Iraqi people and American soldiers stressing how important it is to save these corals. Thank you. Sincerely, T.S., D.G., M.D.
|
|