May 18th, 2012

This year we highlight 82 coral species waiting for the NMFS to take action

Today is Endangered Species Day. This day celebrates the successes stories of species such as the Bald Eagle that have been saved from extinction though the implementation of the Endangered Species Act.  However, Reef Relief would like to bring attention to coral species, locally and worldwide that are threatened with extinction.

Corals worldwide face an uncertain future and many have already been lost. Carbon dioxide pollution is causing longer and more frequent coral bleaching events and ocean acidification. These stressed coral become more sensitive to other threats such a poor water quality and disease.

Elkhorn and Staghorn corals, historically found throughout the Caribbean, became the first corals to receive protection under the Endangered Species Act in 2006. Protection under this act means that many activities such as dredging, and offshore oil development would have stricter regulation in areas where these species are found and requires Federal agencies to ensure that their actions do not harm listed species.

In 2009, the Center for Biodiversity petitioned to list 83 coral species under the Endangered Species Act. The government found that 82 of the species may meet the criteria to be listed but have not taken any action to date. In January of this year, the Center for Biodiversity filed a 60-day notice to sue the National Marine Fisheries Service for failing to take action on these 82 imperiled species. Eight of these species are found in the Florida waters:

Pillar Coral (Dendogyra cylindrus), Mountain Star Coral (Montastraea faveolata), Rough Cactus Coral (Mycetophyllia ferox), Whitestar Sheet Coral (Agaricia lamarcki), Elliptical Star Coral (Dichocoenia stokesii), Lobed Star Coral (Montastraea annularis), and the Large Ivory Coral (Oculina varicosa)

Image:Reef Rescue

10 Things You Can Do To Help

http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/take-action/10-things-you-can-do-to-save-the-ocean/

1. Mind Your Carbon Footprint and Reduce Energy Consumption
Reduce the effects of climate change on the ocean by leaving the car at home when you can and being conscious of your energy use at home and work. A few things you can do to get started today: Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs, take the stairs, and bundle up or use a fan to avoid oversetting your thermostat.

2. Make Safe, Sustainable Seafood Choices
Global fish populations are rapidly being depleted due to demand, loss of habitat, and unsustainable fishing practices. When shopping or dining out, help reduce the demand for overexploited species by choosing seafood that is both healthful and sustainable.

3. Use Fewer Plastic Products
Plastics that end up as ocean debris contribute to habitat destruction and entangle and kill tens of thousands of marine animals each year. To limit your impact, carry a reusable water bottle, store food in nondisposable containers, bring your own cloth tote or other reusable bag when shopping, and recycle whenever possible.

4. Help Take Care of the Beach
Whether you enjoy diving, surfing, or relaxing on the beach, always clean up after yourself. Explore and appreciate the ocean without interfering with wildlife or removing rocks and coral. Go even further by encouraging others to respect the marine environment or by participating in local beach cleanups.

5. Don’t Purchase Items That Exploit Marine Life
Certain products contribute to the harming of fragile coral reefs and marine populations. Avoid purchasing items such as coral jewelry, tortoiseshell hair accessories (made from hawksbill turtles), and shark products.

6. Be an Ocean-Friendly Pet Owner
Read pet food labels and consider seafood sustainability when choosing a diet for your pet. Never flush cat litter, which can contain pathogens harmful to marine life. Avoid stocking your aquarium with wild-caught saltwater fish, and never release any aquarium fish into the ocean or other bodies of water, a practice that can introduce non-native species harmful to the existing ecosystem.

7. Support Organizations Working to Protect the Ocean
Many institutes and organizations are fighting to protect ocean habitats and marine wildlife. If you live near the coast, join up with a local branch or group and get involved in projects close to home.

8. Influence Change in Your Community
Research the ocean policies of public officials before you vote or contact your local representatives to let them know you support marine conservation projects. Consider patronizing restaurants and grocery stores that offer only sustainable seafood, and speak up about your concerns if you spot a threatened species on the menu or at the seafood counter.

9. Travel the Ocean Responsibly
Practice responsible activities on the water. Never throw anything overboard, and be aware of marine life in the waters around you. If you’re set on taking a cruise for your next vacation, do some research to find the most eco-friendly option.

10. Educate Yourself about Oceans and Marine Life
All life on Earth is connected to the ocean and its inhabitants. The more you learn about the issues facing this vital system, the more you’ll want to help ensure its health—then share that knowledge to educate and inspire others.

For more information on Endangered Species Day, visit www.stopextinction.org/endangeredspeciesday

Learn more about the Center for Biodiversity’s campaign to protect 82 coral species visit: http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/coral_conservation/index.html

Contact Reef Relief to find out what you can do locally to protect coral. Visit http://reefrelief.org , or  email: reefrelief@gmail.

Learn more at http://www.stopextinction.org/esd.html

For educational materials visit http://www.stopextinction.org/esd/195-esd-education.html

For more on marine endangered or threatened marine species visit  NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service’s Endangered Species Day page at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/endangeredspeciesday/may182012.htm

Written by Mat McDermott.  TreeHugger. May 16, 2012

While there are plenty of bans on plastic bags at the city level in the US, with the approval of a ban of plastic bags at point of sale in Honolulu county, Hawaii becomes the first state in the nation to have outlawed plastic bags at every locale in the state.

Sort of.

Surfrider is cheering the move, which bans all non-recyclable paper bags and all non-biodegradable plastic bags at store checkout counters, effective July 1, 2015. But based on KHON 2‘s reporting on what sorts of plastic bags will still be allowed, under exemption, it’s not hardly a total ban on plastic bags at all.

Here’s what will still be allowed after the law goes into effect:

• Bags used by customers inside a business to package loose items, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, ground coffee, grains, candies or small hardware items.
• Bags used to contain or wrap frozen foods, meat, or fish, flowers or potted plants, or other items to contain dampness.
• Bags used to protect or transport prepared foods, beverages, or bakery goods.
• Bags provided by pharmacists to contain prescription medications.
• Newspaper bags for home newspaper delivery.
• Door-hanger bags.
• Laundry, dry cleaning, or garment bags, including bags provided by hotels to guests to contain wet or dirty clothing.
• Bags sold in packages containing multiple bags intended for use as garbage, pet waste, or yard waste bags.
• Bags used to contain live animals such as fish or insects sold in pet stores.
• Bags used to transport chemical pesticides, drain-cleaning chemicals, or other caustic chemicals sold at retail level, provided that this exemption shall be limited to one bag per customer.

By: Jamie Monty. Assistant Manager

On January 31, 2012, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) hosted a workshop called “Integration & Coordination of Efforts to Monitor Reef Fish Populations on the Florida Reef Tract”. This kick-off meeting brought together scientists and managers from the Florida Keys and southeast Florida regions to coordinate a fisheries-independent monitoring effort along the entire Florida Reef Tract. Fisheries-independent monitoring is a fish monitoring program using standardized sampling methods to examine the population of fishes as a whole (e.g., every fish you see when you’re SCUBA diving); in contrast, a fishery-dependent monitoring program uses data from only the exploited segment of a population (e.g., only the fish you catch using hook and line or a net). Florida’s Coral Reef Conservation Program has been building partnerships and obtaining funding to implement fisheries-independent monitoring, a priority information gap in the southeast Florida region. The sampling design is currently underway, and the first in-water assessment will begin this summer. The data collected in southeast Florida will be based on the Reef Visual Census (RVC) method, so that southeast Florida fish data will be comparable to the decade’s worth of data from the National Parks and Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. This will be the first time the fish population of the entire Florida Reef Tract will be looked at holistically – which will help inform resource management decisions. Additionally, these methods were recently recognized by NOAA as the most appropriate for fish surveys throughout the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

Andrew Liszewski May 10, 2012 4:00 PM. http://www.gizmodo.com.au

If you’re looking for a good fright, forget about going to see a horror movie or wandering through a cemetery in the middle of the night. Just flip on the National Geographic channel and find yourself a good documentary about the horrors lurking under the sea.

Living thousands of metres below the water’s surface may not have done these creatures any favours in the looks department, but it has led to some utterly bizarre adaptations that let mother nature’s ugly step-children survive in their unique environment. And while it’s fun to point and stare at how hideous they all are, just remember they’d probably do the same to us if they visited dry land.  See more at http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2012/05/the-7-weirdest-creatures-under-the-sea/

photo:NOAA

Reef Relief has been invited to participate in the 2012 Green Awards. We need 10 positive reviews (4 or 5 stars) by April 30, 2012, to get added to GreatNonprofits Top-Rated Green Nonprofits List. Please submit your story about Reef Relief. Your stories will help us promote our program to over 2 million donors on GreatNonprofits.org, and syndicated to GuideStar, CharityNavigator,GlobalGiving, and JustGive.

Do it now at http://www.greatnonprofits.org/reviews/write/reef-relief-inc/green-2012/

Reef Relief’s Coral Camp 2012 will have 9 week long sessions. Sessions runs Monday- Friday from 8:30 am -4:30pm. Each session is $215 or $370 for two sessions.  Scholarships are available based on need and availability.

Call Reef Relief at 305-294-3100 for more information or to register now.

Coral Camp 2012 Brochure

2012 Available sessions:

Week 1    June 11 – 15
Week 2   June 18 – 22
Week 3   June 25 – 29
Week 4   July 9 – 13
Week 5   July 16 – 20
Week 6   July 23 – 27
Week 7   July 30 – August 3
Week 8   August 6 – August 10
Week  9  August 13 – 17

ScienceDaily (Mar. 6, 2012) — Among the many intriguing aspects of the deep sea, Earth’s largest ecosystem, exist environments known as hydrothermal vent systems where hot water surges out from the seafloor. On the flipside the deep sea also features cold areas where methane rises from “seeps” on the ocean bottom.

It’s extremely rare to find both habitat types intersecting in one place, but that’s what researchers found and explored during an expedition in 2010 off Costa Rica. A description of the scientists’ findings, including a large number of mysterious, undescribed species, is published in a study led by Lisa Levin of Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego in the March 7 issue of the Proceedings of the Royal Society B (Biological Sciences).

Read the full article at:http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120306195700.htm

By Kim Boodram

The dreaded lionfish, a tropical water predator, has been spotted in Tobago.

The Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) has received a report of a sighting in Flying Reef, bringing to reality months of concern of a possible invasion, which could devastate Tobago’s coral reefs.

The sighting report was made by resident Keith Gibson, who holds a PhD in coastal zone management and has taught a fish ID course for commonly encountered fish in Tobago—which includes an awareness of what species to look out for, such as the lionfish.

Read the full article at http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Diver_spots_dreaded__lionfish_in_Tobago_reef-140451763.html