Reefs in The News: Volume One

[sharkdude]

At the last SCMAS Steering Committee meeting, I was asked if I would not mind presented a 15 minute summary of some of the various reef and aqaurium industry news articles I regularly post to this list and the SCMAS discussion board.

I was fully prepared at last friday's meeting, but alas all were too riveted by Richards enlightening discussion of ozone, and thus there was no time for me to present.

For future articles, I will try and make a one page summary, or some other organized presenation of some sort.

Some articles are good news such as newly discovered pristine reefs and new innovative methods of coral propagation in the wild, but a vast majority are ominous such as the one below.

Withouit furtehr adieu, here is today's article:


Scientists Warn of Threat to Coral Reefs
CHARLOTTE AMALIE, U.S. Virgin Islands (AP) --Warmer sea temperatures could worsen the widespread destruction of coral reefs that hit the Caribbean in 2005, scientists fear.In the waters around the U.S. Virgin Islands, as much as 40 percent of coral died in some reefs last year, and the coral that survived probably isn't healthy enough to survive another hot summer, said Caroline Rogers, a U.S. Geological Survey biologist.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/artic...national/i130131D69.DTL&hw=fish&sn=013&sc=336

Scientists Warn of Threat to Coral Reefs
- By MAT PROBASCO, Associated Press Writer
Saturday, April 22, 2006


(04-22) 13:01 PDT CHARLOTTE AMALIE, U.S. Virgin Islands (AP) --


Warmer sea temperatures could worsen the widespread destruction of coral reefs that hit the Caribbean in 2005, scientists fear.


In the waters around the U.S. Virgin Islands, as much as 40 percent of coral died in some reefs last year, and the coral that survived probably isn't healthy enough to survive another hot summer, said Caroline Rogers, a U.S. Geological Survey biologist.


"It worries me. It's looking so similar" to last year, said Rogers, who has studied coral in the Virgin Islands for 22 years. "It's impossible to overstate how important this is."


Reefs are vital habitat for fish, lobsters and other sea life that feed and breed in the sheltered waters. The reefs also deflect storm waves that might otherwise wash away the beaches that are at the heart of the region's multibillion-dollar tourism industry.


Bleached and infested with disease, coral off Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands is in poor shape, scientists said in interviews last week. They said further bleaching wouldn't be apparent before summer and it would take some after that before they would know if more coral died.


"You don't know how scary it looks down there," said Zandy Starr, who monitors coral and sea turtles in St. Croix's national parks. "All of us thought that by now, with all the cooler temperatures in January and February, we would have seen recovery, but they're still sick."


Glassy, calm seas have permitted coral-killing ultraviolet rays to penetrate to the ocean floor, warming water temperatures and making the fragile undersea life more susceptible to disease, Starr said.


A record 9 percent of elkhorn coral ââ"šÂ¬Ã¢â‚¬Â vital for reef building ââ"šÂ¬Ã¢â‚¬Â died last year and much more was damaged, Rogers said. Growing some eight inches a year, elkhorn is one of the faster generating coral, while other coral grows just a half-inch or so each year.


Scientists haven't pinpointed what caused coral to become sick or led to the warm water, which stresses coral and makes it more susceptible to disease. They can't say whether global warming is a factor.


"We don't really have the data. You need a record over decades. There's a lot of research that needs to happen," said Alberto Sabat, a biology professor at the University of Puerto Rico.


But the trend of warmer waters isn't limited to the Caribbean. The National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration said waters were warmer than usual in the South Pacific, mid-Atlantic and Indian Ocean in mid-April.


Rogers said coral fared far better after hurricanes that devastated the U.S. Virgin Islands in 1989 and 1995 because the storms cooled the sea, allowing reefs to recover relatively quickly from damage.


Rising temperatures appear to be "something new that the corals aren't used to," said Tyler Smith, a marine researcher at the University of the Virgin Islands.


"I've seen some very large colonies ââ"šÂ¬Ã¢â‚¬Â 100-year-old colonies ââ"šÂ¬Ã¢â‚¬Â in the Virgin Islands that have completely died," he said.


The scientists worry that the problem is being overlooked.


"People just don't know that much about coral because it's underwater. If 40 percent of the trees in one of our national parks died, people would take notice," Rogers said.


URL: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/n/a/2006/04/22/international/i130131D69.DTL

 

[sharkdude]

Cold-water corals

Cold-water corals

Cold-water corals, like these off Alaska's Aleutian Islands, are at risk of serious damage from deepwater fishing practices and the growing acidification of the world's oceans, according to a recent study.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/bigphotos/images/060501_coral_big.jpg
(Story) http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/05/0501_060501_coral.html

 

[JenDub]

You should just call this: Reefs--watch our natural history dissappear right before your eyes...

It's a bummer man, if we spent the money from the space program exploring the seas maybe we'd find the true origin of life on earth....

Charles

 

[laverda]

great info Chris

 

[sharkdude]

here's a story from Laverda:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,194283,00.html

Treasure Trove of Deep-Sea Life Found in Bermuda Triangle

Friday , May 05, 2006

By Robert Roy Britt

The quantity and diversity of tiny creatures found in a deep-sea survey in the Bermuda Triangle region of the Atlantic Ocean is amazing scientists.

During a 20-day cruise last month, researchers used trawling nets and scuba divers to explore down to 3 miles beneath the ocean surface. Previous studies of small ocean creatures focused only on the top half-mile or so.

Several of the animals ââ"šÂ¬Ã¢â‚¬Â tiny zooplankton, shrimp-like things, little squid, bizarre worms and pulsing jellyfish ââ"šÂ¬Ã¢â‚¬Â are featured in a new image gallery.

ââ"šÂ¬Ã‚¢ Click here to see the photo gallery.

Among more than 1,000 different organisms collected, the project found "what appear to be several undescribed species that may well prove new to science," said the cruise's scientific leader, Peter Wiebe of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

The results were announced Thursday.

Perception 'radically altered'

The expedition has provided a new understanding of the diversity of gelatinous zooplankton, which the researchers describe as "the gooiest, stickiest, and most transparently fragile animals of the sea."

They are rarely captured without being destroyed.

Researchers want to know what's down there and what the various species are like. This will help them better understand the food chain and also gauge ocean health with similar surveys in the future.

Hundreds of the captured critters were analyzed onboard the research ship using DNA barcode technology, which reveals differences in species.

The cruise was part of a larger project to make a global inventory of zooplankton by 2010. It's called the Census of Marine Zooplankton (CMarZ).

"We are just starting to realize how little we know about species variety," said Ann Bucklin, a University of Connecticut marine scientist who leads CMarZ. "We used to think we knew many species well, but the advent of DNA barcoding has radically altered that perception. Genetically distinctive species of zooplankton are being found with increasing frequency."

A bug's life

Zooplankton serve a vital role in combating global warming. They spend their days in the deep and then commute more than a third of a mile to the surface each night to feed on carbon-absorbing plants called phytoplankton.

The zooplankton then carry the carbon from the surface to the depths, effectively sequestering it from the atmosphere, where it acts as a greenhouse gas.

The tiny creatures also help feed humans.

Here's a rough idea of how researchers think the food chain works:

Some 10,000 pounds of phytoplankton is consumed by 1,000 pounds of zooplankton, which in turn support 100 pounds of larger zooplankton, which become meals for 10 pounds of small fish species like herring or anchovies, which support 1 pound of a larger fish species that might end up on your dinner table.

Some birds and whales eat zooplankton, too.

"By 2010, the research conducted by this project will provide a baseline against which future generations can measure changes to the zooplankton and their provinces, caused by pollution, over-fishing, climate change and other shifting environmental conditions," Bucklin said.

Copyright Ã"šÃ‚© 2006 Imaginova Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

 

[sharkdude]

*HAS THE STATE BAN ON AQUARIUM /CAULERPA/ SPECIES BEEN EFFECTIVE IN
SOUTHERN **CALIFORNIA**?*

* _J.R. Smith^1 _*, S.F. Zaleski^2 , S. Diaz^1 , L.J. Walters^3 , K.
Brown^3 , and S.N. Murray^1 . ^1 Department of Biological Science,
California State University, Fullerton, CA 92834; ^2 Sea Grant Program,
University^ of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089;^ 3 Department
of Biology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816

The /Caulerpa taxifolia/ invasion of the Mediterranean Sea raised
awareness of the potential for introduced seaweeds to impact coastal
communities. Subsequent introductions of /C. taxifolia/ in southern
California in 2000, presumably from the release of aquarium specimens,
led to the expenditure of more than $4.5 million for eradication
efforts. Besides /C. taxifolia/, other species of /Caulerpa/ being sold
for aquarium use also may have the potential to invade southern
Californian and U.S. waters. To determine the availability of aquarium
specimens of /Caulerpa/ in southern California, 50 retail outlets were
visited in 2000-01 and 52% were found to sell /Caulerpa/;10% of these
stores sold /C. taxifolia/. Surveys of aquarium stores in Florida
produced similar results and also revealed the ability to purchase
/Caulerpa/ via e-commerce. In late 2001, California imposed a ban on
importation, sale, or possession of 9 /Caulerpa/ species; the City of
San Diego expanded these regulations to include all species. To
determine the effectiveness of the California ban on /Caulerpa/, in
2005-06 we visited 24 retail stores previously found to sell /Caulerpa/.
Of 24 stores, 63% sold /Caulerpa/ and 8% were selling /C. taxifolia/.
These results together with recent work in Florida suggest that the
retail aquarium industry, including e-commerce, continues to represent a
potential vector for distributing /Caulerpa/ specimens, including /C.
taxifolia/. It also appears that outreach and enforcement programs in
the City of San Diego have resulted in greater compliance with existing
regulations underscoring the need to increase awareness among the
aquarium retail industry.

 

[sharkdude]

National ââ"šÂ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å“ New Initiatives to Address Illegal Aquarium Trade

Last week, the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force announced a new conservation initiative aiming for stronger enforcement of aquarium reef fish trade harvesting regulations. The task force will examine the use of cyanide and other poisons in the collection of reef fish on the global market. Although illegal in most countries, the use of cyanide to capture reef fish alive is widespread, and is driven by the lucrative, growing and largely unregulated international trade in live reef food fish and marine aquarium industry. This study will research field-based cyanide detection tests for use by enforcement authorities. Tests capable of producing reliable results several weeks after exposure to cyanide could help to restrict suspected illegal imports.

For more information, read the NOAA Press Release

 

[sharkdude]

NOAA Releases Report on Coral Reefs of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

NOAA Releases Report on Coral Reefs of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

Pacific Islands ââ"šÂ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å“ NOAA Releases Report on Coral Reefs of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

NOAA has released a five-year report outlining the status of efforts to protect, study and manage coral reef ecosystems in the northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) since a marine reserve was established there in 2000. Encompassing 134,575 square miles of coral reef and deep water habitat, the NWHI Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve is the single largest conservation area ââ"šÂ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å“ marine or terrestrial ââ"šÂ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å“ in the United States. The area is home to more than 7,000 marine species, including the critically endangered Hawaiian monk seal and threatened green sea turtle. One in four NWHI species are found nowhere else. Due to their isolation, these still-wild coral reefs are among the healthiest and most extensive reef ecosystems remaining on the planet. The region is also of deep cultural significance to native Hawaiians.

The State of the Reserve 2000-2005 report http://www.hawaiireef.noaa.gov/documents
describes how NOAA and its partners have coordinated scientific studies at nearly 400 sites throughout the archipelago, helped remove more than 500 tons of marine debris from coral reefs, and engaged the public through education and outreach programs, meetings and exhibits. NOAAââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s National Marine Sanctuary Program manages the NWHI reserve in close cooperation with the state of Hawaiââ"šÂ¬Ã‹Å“i and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with input from the NWHI Reserve Advisory Council.

An extensive public process is underway to consider designating the area as a national marine sanctuary. More than 52,000 public comments have been collected and many stakeholder meetings have taken place. NOAA is in the final stages of developing draft regulations, a draft environmental impact statement and draft management plan. After their release, these documents will be available for public review and comment.

To request a hard copy of the State of the Reserve report, contact Stephanie.Lachance@noaa.gov

cool movie clip here:
http://www.hawaiireef.noaa.gov/imagery/video/NWHI.mov

 

[sharkdude]

New York Man Grows Coral in His Basement
- By WILLIAM KATES, Associated Press Writer
Wednesday, July 19, 2006


(07-19) 01:21 PDT Dryden, N.Y. (AP) --


In upstate New York, famous for its snowy winters and far from any tropical ocean, Steve Lowes is growing coral reefs in his basement.


The 41-year-old English-born Lowes is raising dozens of coral species for his Web-based coral business, Reef Encounters, and is one of a growing breed of coral farmer who have found a niche supporting the booming hobby of keeping aquariums, which in 2005 was a $6.9 billion market.


And in the process, they are also helping scientists learn more about coral and are raising public awareness about a threatened species.


"It brings the ecosystem to life for people in a very effective way that's much more persuasive than reading about it in a book or looking at photographs," Lowes said.


Scientists have identified about 2,000 species of reef-building coral. The coral reefs are typically found in the warm salt waters in region between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn and cover about 1 percent of the earth's surface. The reefs, some millions of years old, are among the planet's most diverse and productive ecosystems.


Their value to the world economy is projected at more than $300 billion as a food source, for tourism appeal and in reducing shoreline erosion. However, they are threatened because of disease, natural disasters, pollution, overharvesting and global warming.


"There's something about life under the sea that attracts the human spirit. It starts with children," said Lowes, a scuba diver whose fascination with the sea began as a child watching Jacques Cousteau documentaries in the 1970s.


Lowes, a chemist for a pharmaceutical company, began growing coral as a hobby more than a decade ago while living in the United Kingdom. In 2002, he turned his "addiction" into a business and became a professional coral farmer.


Lowes raises 50 species and sells about 200 animals a month to upstate New York hobbyists and wholesalers. Depending on the species' rarity, they sell from $10 to $1,000 or more. He also helps install high-end reef aquarium systems, some of which can cost in excess of $30,000.


Home reef aquariums have been gaining popularity in the United States since the late 1980s, said Joe Yaillo, curator at Atlantis Marine World in Riverhead, N.Y., which features a 20,000-gallon tank with the nation's largest live coral reef exhibit.


Lowes belongs to a loosely knit organization called the Upstate Reef Society with approximately 100 active members. Yaillo estimated there are more than 100 such groups across the United States.


Lowes' basement looks like a mad scientist's laboratory, with tens of thousands of dollars worth of lighting and filtration equipment hooked up to a 125-gallon aquarium and three large 100-gallon tanks.


He propagates his coral by breaking off millimeter-sized fragments and growing them in the tanks. They grow to about two inches in six months, when they are ready for sale and shipment. While its primary purpose is display, the aquarium also allows Lowes to study the interaction among the more than 60 species he keeps.


Lowes is investigating the ways corals' anti-fungal compounds could be useful to humans, one of many subjects he is working on with a Cornell University professor. Another is a project studying coral photosynthesis as part of an effort to develop improved lighting systems â€" it bothers him that he must rely on fossil fuel to light and power his tanks.


By growing coral for home aquariums, hobbyists are reducing the need to harvest wild coral and have contributed significantly to the growing understanding of coral over the past 15 years, said Eric Borneman, a professor of coral reef biology at the University of Houston who has written extensively on coral.


"As scientists, we often only get snapshots of the coral we study, whether in the wild or in the lab," Borneman said. "Hobbyists are filling in the gaps by looking at coral every day, for much longer periods."