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
By Crystal Gammon
OurAmazingPlanet
updated 5/16/2012 5:41:14 PM ET
When it comes to leatherback turtles, the world’s largest species of sea turtle, there’s a conundrum: The species itself is critically endangered, but at least one leatherback population is stable — on the rise, even — while others plummet.
Now, researchers may have discovered why some of these turtles are doing better than others. Studying two leatherback turtle populations, one that is declining and one that seems to be increasing, the researchers say the answer might be simple: food.
“We saw very big differences in their traveling speeds from their nesting beaches to their foraging grounds,” said Helen Bailey, an ecologist at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science who led the study. “We take that to mean one population is stopping to forage on a nice dense patch of prey, while the other group keeps moving because it’s constantly in search of food.”
ScienceDaily (May 11, 2012) — Using the latest satellite tracking technology, conservationists from the Wildlife Conservation Society, the University of Exeter (UK), and the Government of Mexico have completed a ground-breaking study on a mysterious ocean giant: the manta ray.
The research team has produced the first published study on the use of satellite telemetry to track the open-ocean journeys of the world’s largest ray, which can grow up to 25 feet in width. Researchers say the manta ray — listed as “Vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) — has become increasingly threatened by fishing and accidental capture and now needs more protection.
The study was published May 11 in the online journal PLoS ONE. The authors include: Rachel T. Graham of the Wildlife Conservation Society and the University of Exeter; Matthew J. Witt of the University of Exeter; Dan W. Castellanos of the Wildlife Conservation Society; Francisco Remolina of the National Commission of Protected Areas, Cancun, Mexico; Sara Maxwell of the Marine Conservation Institute and the University of California-Santa Cruz; Brenden J. Godley of the University of Exeter; and Lucy A. Hawkes of Bangor University, Bangor, United Kingdom.
Read the full article at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120511122228.htm
By Chris Sweeney Thursday, May 3 2012. Miami New Times
Kate Lunz didn’t know what to expect as she piloted her white Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission truck to the Port of Tampa in July 2010. The day before, customs authorities had called the 32-year-old, PhD-toting marine biologist and asked her to inspect the contents of two 40-foot shipping containers that had been sent from the Solomon Islands and pulled for investigation.
This marked the first time Lunz had been summoned to the port to do her job. To look official, she wore her white FWC shirt, pulled back her short blond hair, and packed an employee badge, a professional accouterment she rarely used. A federal escort met Lunz at the port’s entry and led her past rotund oil tanks and looming smokestacks toward a secure Customs and Border Protection warehouse the size of a football field. Lunz walked inside to find piles of what appeared to be white rubble wrapped in damp beer boxes and foreign newspapers. She snapped on a surgical mask to stave off the stench of mold and dust and began surveying the haul. Read the full story at http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2012-05-03/news/coral-reefs-are-being-decimated-all-for-a-few-gaudy-trinkets/
ScienceDaily (Apr. 30, 2012) — Scientists predict ocean temperatures will rise in the equatorial Pacific by the end of the century, wreaking havoc on coral reef ecosystems.
But a new study shows that climate change could cause ocean currents to operate in a way that mitigates warming near a handful of islands right on the equator.
Those islands include some of the 33 coral atolls that form the nation of Kiribati. This low-lying country is at risk from sea-level rise caused by global warming.
Surprisingly, these Pacific islands within two degrees north and south of the equator may become isolated climate change refuges for corals and fish.
Read more at
But a new study shows that climate change could cause ocean currents to operate in a way that mitigates warming near a handful of islands right on the equator.
Those islands include some of the 33 coral atolls that form the nation of Kiribati. This low-lying country is at risk from sea-level rise caused by global warming.
Surprisingly, these Pacific islands within two degrees north and south of the equator may become isolated climate change refuges for corals and fish.
Read more at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120430114941.htm
JACOB HERIN | Published: April 20, 2012
KOMODO ISLAND, Indonesia (AP) — Coral gardens that were among Asia‘s most spectacular, teeming with colorful sea life just a few months ago, have been transformed into desolate gray moonscapes by illegal fishermen who use explosives or cyanide to kill or stun their prey.
The site is among several to have been hit inside Komodo National Park, a 500,000-acre reserve in eastern Indonesia that spans several dusty, tan-colored volcanic islands. The area is most famous for its Komodo dragons — the world’s largest lizards — and its remote and hard-to-reach waters also burst with staggering levels of diversity, from corals in fluorescent reds and yellows to octopuses with lime-green banded eyes to black-and-blue sea snakes.
Dive operators and conservationists say Indonesia’s government is not doing enough to keep illegal fishermen out of the boundaries of the national park, a U.N. World Heritage site. They say enforcement declined greatly following the exit two years ago of a U.S.-based environmental group that helped fight destructive fishing practices.
Posted on April 27, 2012 by Bob Berwyn By Summit Voice
SUMMIT COUNTY — Leading scientists from around the world warned that unbridled commerical fishing in newly thawed Arctic waters is likely to result in resource depletion similar to what’s occurred in other areas.
“The ability to fish is not the same as having the scientific information and management regimes needed for a well-managed fishery,” the scientists wrote in an open letter, advocating for research that could help establish good baseline data about marine ecosystems in the Arctic Ocean.
“The science community currently does not have sufficient biological information to understand the presence, abundance, structure, movements, and health of fish stocks and the role they play in the broader ecosystem of the central Arctic Ocean. In the absence of this scientific data and a robust management system, depletion of fishery resources and damage to other components of the ecosystem are likely to result if fisheries commence,” they wrote.
The letter was released by the Pew Environment Group’s Arctic Ocean campaign, along with maps showing that the loss of permanent sea ice has opened up as much as 40 percent of this pristine region during recent summers, making industrial fishing viable for the first time. Read more at http://summitcountyvoice.com/2012/04/27/scientists-urge-protection-of-arctic-fisheries/
Wildlife and Wetlands Two Years into the Gulf Oil Disaster
National Wildlife Federation
04-10-2012 // Jaclyn McDougal
As the two-year mark of the Deepwater Horizon blowout approaches, the National Wildlife Federation issued a new report today examining the health of the Gulf’s wildlife and wetlands. Impacts from the Gulf oil disaster will be unfolding for years, if not decades, and many species of wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico will need the combined efforts of scientists, policymakers and regulators to recover.
A Degraded Gulf Of Mexico: Wildlife and Wetlands Two Years into the Gulf Oil Disaster (pdf) was written by National Wildlife Federation Senior Scientist Dr. Doug Inkley. The report is also available as an interactive graphic at www.nwf.org/OilSpill
Major highlights include:
The poor health in dolphins in the most heavily oiled areas and the spike in dolphin deaths suggest possible ecosystem-wide effects of the oil.
The Gulf’s already-endangered sea turtle population has been dealt a severe blow by the oil disaster. Already strained bluefin tuna, deep sea coral, Gulf wetlands and coastal habitats were also impacted.
“It’s important to remember what we don’t yet know. Previous catastrophes like the Exxon Valdez have shown that impacts of oil disasters last many years or even decades,” Inkley said. “Little action has been taken to address the long-term species threats and wetlands habitat degradation exacerbated by the oil disaster. Much more needs to be done to ensure a complete recovery.”
Other oil disasters have taken years to reveal their full effects, and often recovery remains incomplete after decades.
“It will be critical to monitor these key species in the months and years ahead, especially given the unknown impacts of weathered and ‘dispersed’ oil remaining in the Gulf,” said Dr. George Crozier, retired director of Dauphin Island Sea Lab. “This disaster hit an ecosystem already weakened by years of wetlands degradation, including coastal areas around the Mississippi River Delta losing a football field worth of land every hour.”
The April 20, 2010 blowout on the Deepwater Horizon rig killed 11 workers and the Macondo well would eventually release nearly 206 million gallons of oil, providing a new setback to a Gulf ecosystem already struggling with years of wetlands degradation and the destructive power of Hurricane Katrina.
“It is essential for Congress to pass the RESTORE Act to reinvest penalties and fines to restoring the Gulf,” said David Muth, state director of NWF’s Mississippi River Delta program. “Without legislation to direct fines and penalties from the oil disaster to restoring the Gulf Coast’s wetlands and coastal ecosystems and a comprehensive Gulf Coast restoration program, the outlook for Gulf recovery will remain uncertain.”
By, Scott Sincoff, ENN. Published April 2, 2012 09:28 PM
A new study has increased hope that some coral species will be able
to survive gradual ocean acidification. According to new research
published in the journal, Nature Climate Change, a team of
international scientists have identified a specific internal
mechanism that could permit some coral species and their symbiotic
algae to offset the unfavorable effects of an acidic ocean. In
addition, this research has given hope that coral reefs will also be
able to survive rising levels of ocean acidification.
Besides being associated with allegedly raising the planet’s natural
temperature, carbon dioxide is turning the world’s oceans more
acidic. The research team from Australia’s ARC Centre of Excellence
for Coral Reef Studies (CoECRS), at the University of Western
Australia (UWA) and France’s Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de
l’Environnement states in their report that carbon dioxide is being
released at rates that were thought to extinguish some levels of life
forms.
The team also states in their report that research has supported that
some marine organisms, which internally form calcium carbonate
skeletons, have an in-built mechanism to cope with ocean
acidification. Professor Malcolm McCulloch of CoECRS and UWA states
that most coral species appear to have the inner ability to buffer
rising acidity of seawater and still build solid skeletons. “Marine
organisms that form calcium carbonate skeletons generally produce it
in one of two forms, known as aragonite and calcite,” said McCulloch.
“Our research broadly suggests that those with skeletons made of
aragonite have the coping mechanism – while those that follow the
calcite pathway generally do less well under more acidic conditions.”
Despite the groundbreaking research, McCulloch also suggests that
there is a small case of concern. The research team states in the
report that coralline algae-the glue that sticks coral reefs
together-appears to be vulnerable to rising acidification levels.
Another cause of concern is that a large class of plankton, which is
a significant tenet in the marine food web, is equally as vulnerable
to the acidification as the coralline algae.
McCulloch said that the rising levels of carbon dioxide not only
acidify the Earth’s oceans, but also raise the ocean’s temperatures.
In turn, McCulloch states that warming oceans may increase the rates
of coral growth, especially in corals now living in cooler waters.
However, he said that a big question is to see whether or not corals
can adapt to the current rate of global warming. “This is crucial
since, if corals are bleached by the sudden arrival of hot ocean
water and lose the symbiotic algae which are their main source of
energy, they will still die,” said McCulloch. “It’s a more
complicated picture, but broadly it means that there are going to be
winners and losers in the oceans as its chemistry is modified by
human activities – this could have the effect of altering major ocean
ecosystems on which both we and a large part of marine life depend.”
For more information, please visit:
<http://www.nature.com/nclimate/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nclimate1473.html>http://www.nature.com/nclimate/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nclimate1473.html.
http://blog.seattlepi.com/candacewhiting
Filmmaker and author Hardy Jones and his crew had to stop counting the dead dolphins that were scattered along the Peruvian beach when the number reached 615. The incoming tide made it impossible to continue a task that must have been heartbreaking and exhausting – yet nothing short of a relentless tide or total darkness would have gotten in the way of this man. In a career that has stretched over 30 years, Jones has been a voice for dolphins worldwide, and has taken his message to the world through his films and book. He battles a form of cancer that would render most of us content to spend our days puttering in our gardens. He has faced the brutal dolphin hunters in Taiji, and filmed the slaughter of the animals he loves.
So when he was informed of the mass dolphin deaths he did not hesitate to travel from his home in Florida to the remote shores of Peru, and soon found himself counting the endless procession of dolphin carcasses, photographing and filming the scene while scientists took samples and tried to establish the cause.
