Here’s how far it is between the conference center and my hotel (the Grande). It’s not a million miles. Actually, it’s less than half a mile. Do I really need an air conditioned bus to get me there?
Leaving the conference last night I was asked if I wanted a lift. Nah. I’m just trying to work out why I would want to take a bus to travel such a short journey. “It’s just what we were told to do,” was the sheepish response.
Adding insult to injury, the line of buses outside the conference center had their engines running, just to keep the air inside them cool.
It’s excusable to have to fly to an international conference – it wouldn’t be international otherwise. But at least at the destination we could try and limit our impact on the planet.
Missed the start of the plenary thanks to the monster queues outside for lunch. My burger was somewhat rare too – not exactly still moving, but we’ll see if I’m still around tomorrow to blog the tale…
After a couple of minor technical hitches, we launch into Joanie Kleypas’ neat MI-themed multimedia extravaganza, preceded by strains of “All we are saying, is give reefs a chance”. Mr Lennon would no doubt have approved.
The difference between ocean warming and ocean acidification is that species adaptation to acidification is considered “unlikely”. Oh dear. My Darwinian instincts tell me that’s not good.
We go into some carbonate chemistry to explore the effects of something called Aragonite saturation. It’s not looking good.
Ditto coral bleaching projections.
Joanie points out how rising CO2 concentrations are likely to hit coral skeletal growth. There could be a net dissolution of corals under some scenarios. The result? No more reefs.
Changing pH will affect coral settlement (negative) and algal settlement (positive). The good news is that corals keep on reproducin’
So things aren’t looking great for corals. How can we help them? Well, there are a few causes for hope. For example, reefs can adapt to high temperatures. “The question,” says Joanie, “is how we can get them there”.
There’s increasing field evidence for the adaptive bleaching hypothesis. But quite how far that can get corals is anyone’s guess.
Where coral reefs are will likely determine how well they do, so which ones do we protect? Ones most likely to succeed, either through low exposure to climate change or high resilience. Or ones with high ecosystem service value, high biodiversity, or assemblages of rare species?
The Western Pacific Warm Pool sounds lovely, with its year round temperature of around 28 degrees. Corals in this balmy paradise have bleached far less than those elsewhere, but why? The answer lies in the rate of warming going on. Although the WPWP corals are adapted to high temperatures, the WPWP itself hasn’t warmed much in recent years. Cooler regions, which have warmed relatively more, have suffered much wider bleaching events.
Joanie finishes up with some nice tales of successes and surprises. The return of Diadema to the Caribbean, the effect of increasing MPA sizes, and even how corals have fought back against the scourge of monofilament lines.
Finally, there’s a hilarious video ending – Rich Aronson’s take on Mission Possible, which you can see here… when I get hold of the video. Then he joins Joanie on stage! “There’s going to be bad news”, he says, referring to his comments in this morning’s Plenary session. “This conference is the break point.”
So there you have it. The gauntlet has been well and truly thrown down.
Why don’t scientists and journalists communicate? Find out tomorrow night at the SeaWeb discussion panel. There’s a reception afterwards, so there really is no excuse… hope to see you there!
NOAA has just released a report entitled The State of Coral Reef Ecosystems of the United States and Pacific Freely Associated States: 2008, which you can download by following the link.
At a press call earlier today at ICRS, a panel consisting of Ben Sherman, Kacky Andrews, Tim Keeney, Jenny Waddell and Chantal Collier walked the hacks through their findings, which they’ve set out in the weighty 569-page tome.
The headline finding is that the condition of the nation’s coral reefs has been declining for decades, with almost half of all US coral reef ecosystems now considered to be in “fair” or “poor” condition. That’s about as bad as it gets without being “unknown”.
The report, which NOAA’s Tim Keeney referred to as a “force multiplier”, as it brings together the work of a range of government bodies, academic departments and NGOs, is the third in the series, the others being published in 2002 and 2005. The report is the culmination of work by more than 270 editors – managers and scientists working throughout the region covering the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, Atlantic and Pacific.
Since the publication of the last report, according to Jenny Waddell, also at NOAA, two species of coral – elkhorn and staghorn – have been listed under the US Endangered Species Act, not something we should be proud of, although the listing could help ensure these keystone species survive in the longer term.
Coral distributions are shifting, possibly in response to temperature change, according to Chantal Collier, Coral Reef Program Manager, Office of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas Florida State Department of Environmental Protection. Rapid increases in human populations around coral reef regions, together with the damaging effects of their activities, such as waste outfall, cable and pipeline installation, and fishing, are combining to put coral reefs under immense stress.
By making the report available to the public, the authors hope to get around issues of the kind of “coral reef fatigue” voiced by one member of the press audience. He said that, growing up in Florida, he’d become so accustomed to hearing about the plight of the reefs that the new report seemed little different to those preceding it.
Not so, was the reply. We now realize more fully the nature and extent of the various “stressors” – including ocean acidification, marine debris and illegal fishing – affecting the reefs, said Collier, meaning that the steps needed to protect them are now more clear. In other words, no we know how bad things are we can see how much work is needed to put things right.
Download the report, read it, and do something about it.
Bad news ahead, according to Richard Aronson’s opening address. But we have to choose life over despair. And that’s the theme of the meeting: don’t give up.
Welcome to coralreefnews.org. Over the next five days we’ll be providing web coverage of the ICRS 2008 meeting. ’specially for all those of you who’ve skipped out of the early morning stuff…
Florida: vibrant past, promising future
We’re being treated to a video entree to set the scene. Basically it’s the usual story – serene wildlife followed by our arrival to mess it all up. Bits of Florida have been set aside though, in the hope that we can save some of what’s left.
Dick Dodge is our host. He sets the scene with a few choice motivating comments.
Then, after a dance by some of Florida’s “earliest human inhabitants”, Michael Sole – Secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection wanders on st/age.
He talks about climate change impacts on coral reefs, including more severe storms. Let’s just hope Hurricance Bertha stays out over the Atlantic for the rest of the week at least!
Legislation is being signed this afternoon to eliminate the negative impact of ocean outfalls by 2025. There’s a bunch of other legislation on the way to address climate change. Hopefully we’ll hear ore about that as the conference proceeds.
Next up, Timothy Keeney. Here’s what he said…
[Video to follow]
He introduces Kameran Onley, Acting Assistant Secretary, Water and Science, US Department of the Interior.
She sets out how important the DOI is to ocean conservation: managing dozens of parks and refuges, ocean energy and mineral resources. She’s talking very fast and getting a whole stack of information across. I hear it, but can’t type fast enough! Then, the red light comes on and she speeds up! Arghh!
Take home message: DOI is doing loads, we’ve all got to work together to understand coral reef ecosystems and reach out to the public to lever the will to conserve and protect them. Even Disney is on board, telling kids about how what we do on land – dropping litter etc – ends up in the oceans. Stirring stuff, but man, that was fast!
Back to the video. Spanish conquistadors now. Avast ye pirates! Florida goes through a merry dance of ownership between countries that frankly have no right to it, before becoming a US state. Railroads follow, meaning everyone gets free oranges. Development runs amok, despite those hurricanes. Tourists, pleasure seekers and retirees flock to the area.
Then some acrobatic, but frankly baffling, dancing. Nice.
Next up, Ellen Bogdanoff, Majority Whip at the the Florida House of Representatives.
She talks about the economic value of Florida’s reefs, in terms of the money the generate and the jobs they provide. Then that word synergy – how lots of small impacts can work together to cause a big effect. I think she’s the first to mention it so far.
More calls for everyone to work together. Stand against pressures to drill for oil and gas. Improve hurricane forecasting. I’m up for that.
Back to the film footage, where we see images of crowded beaches, Spring breakers, and Cape Canaveral. Then some more bizarre dancing. This is getting surreal…
Congressman Ron Klein steps up to restore some sanity…
He represents 75 miles of ocean frontage. Our coral reefs are the keystone to our tropical waters, doing the same for oceans that rainforests do for land ecosystems.
Again the economic value of coral reefs is talked about, in the the range of two billion dollars here. But their ecological value is also stressed. “We must remember that coral reefs are not ours to use and exploit”. Saving coral reefs needs Washington’s policy makers to act. “All of us have a stake in saving our reefs” he says.
Congressman Brian Baird follows. He’s here to represent William and Walter, his three year old twins. Apparently we’ve all got to work hard to make sure that W&W get to see coral reefs. Point well made – it’s for the children.
HR4174 is good news, being a bill to help ocean acidification research. Ocean acidification – through the solution of CO2 in ocean water – can be demonstrated in the lab, making it tough for the climate change naysayers to challenge.
But there’s some bad news too. Offshore oil drilling is a rising threat. Both presidential candidates have pledged to do more to protect our ocean resources. Let’s start a forum poll on that one: which presidential candidate is likely to do most for coral reefs?
Don’t just talk about research: talk about activism.
“You know the fierce urgency that faces us”. He leaves stage to a spontaneous round of applause. Popular chap.
More dancing. I’m not even bothering to film this anymore. You’ve got the drift by now. Cha cha cha… exit left, no doubt for another costume change. Jet lag is a strange thing indeed.
Back to the real world. People are struggling to keep a straight face. Oh, actually they’re not managing.
George Hanbury II, Executive VP of Nova Southeastern University. Even he’s struggling with the dancing. Composure, now. Be professional. Ah yes…
The University has been a long term, “silent” collaborator, advocating the idea that the ecosystem must be in harmony and balance with us humans. The environment is now an issue coming to the fore in Florida. Terrestrial impacts – sugar plantations, sewage treatment, grass cutting and fertilizer runoff – are only now being understood in terms of their effect on the coral reef habitat.
“Thirty two years from now we will have the reef that we want today”.
Don’t wait thirty two more years, but help Florida – which houses two thirds of the US’ coral reef – to protect its fragile environment. “Get on your blogs!” Your wish is my command.
You’re looking at a picture of my five-year-old son’s new swimming trunks. They’re just what he wanted — nice coral reef scene, BLUE, stretchy — but… spot anything wrong? Do you need a closer look? Somewhere in some far-flung country, someone loaded up a roll of material the wrong way around. As a consequence, not only are the fish swimming upside down but the air bubbles are sinking. Thoroughly confusing for a young swimmer trying to make sense of the natural world, don’t you think?
We called the shop to let them know what had happened. The shop assistant went away for a while, then came back and said she couldn’t tell whether the fish were swimming the right way up or not. Fair go — not everyone gets to study marine biology at university — but the air bubbles?
A new pair is now in the post. Of course, my son later pointed out that, from his perspective, the fish were swimming the right way up…
Here’s how far it is between the conference center and my hotel (the Grande). It’s not a million miles. Actually, it’s less than half a mile. Do I really need an air conditioned bus to get me there?
Missed the start of the plenary thanks to the monster queues outside for lunch. My burger was somewhat rare too – not exactly still moving, but we’ll see if I’m still around tomorrow to blog the tale…
Joanie points out how rising CO2 concentrations are likely to hit coral skeletal growth. There could be a net dissolution of corals under some scenarios. The result? No more reefs.
At a press call earlier today at ICRS, a panel consisting of Ben Sherman, Kacky Andrews, Tim Keeney, Jenny Waddell and Chantal Collier walked the hacks through their findings, which they’ve set out in the weighty 569-page tome.
Bad news ahead, according to Richard Aronson’s opening address. But we have to choose life over despair. And that’s the theme of the meeting: don’t give up.
Dick Dodge is our host. He sets the scene with a few choice motivating comments.
He talks about climate change impacts on coral reefs, including more severe storms. Let’s just hope 
He introduces Kameran Onley, Acting Assistant Secretary, Water and Science, US Department of the Interior.
Next up, Ellen Bogdanoff, Majority Whip at the the Florida House of Representatives.
Congressman Ron Klein steps up to restore some sanity…
Congressman Brian Baird follows. He’s here to represent William and Walter, his three year old twins. Apparently we’ve all got to work hard to make sure that W&W get to see coral reefs. Point well made – it’s for the children.
More dancing. I’m not even bothering to film this anymore. You’ve got the drift by now. Cha cha cha… exit left, no doubt for another costume change. Jet lag is a strange thing indeed.
You’re looking at a picture of my five-year-old son’s new swimming trunks. They’re just what he wanted — nice coral reef scene, BLUE, stretchy — but… spot anything wrong?