Last week two public meetings occurred, one in Hawaii and one in Florida,
to access the threat of extinction of 82 species of coral
in the Indo-Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans.
Several coral species are likely to go extinct by the year 2100,
due primarily to ocean warming and acidification.
due primarily to ocean warming and acidification.
The root threat to coral is increased human population.
Putting these corals on the list of endangered or threatened species
helps their chance for recovery.
The process to get a species listed as threatened/endangered is long and complex.
I will try to explain it briefly here.
In Oct. 2009, the Center for Biological Diversity gave a petition
to the U.S. government's National Marine Fisheries Service,
proposing to list 83 coral species
found in U.S. waters as threatened or endangered.
This was based on research assembled by the
International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The Fisheries Service then made a Review Team of experts
to assess each coral species' status and possibility for extinction by 2100.
A huge, formal Review Report was published, end of 2011.
At present, the public meetings with scientists and others is part of the examination period to make sure all the top science data is assessed. Finally, the Fisheries Service may propose a list of species (around Dec. 2012) which should become "threatened" or "endangered" and therefore protected
by law under the 1973 U.S. Endangered Species Act.
More comments and public hearings,
and then the U.S. government will make it law,
maybe a year later
in 2014.
A 4-5 year process passes while species die unprotected.
But hey, at least we do something.
Thanks to petitions and the Center for Biological Diversity,
based in Tucson, Arizona.
The process to get a species listed as threatened/endangered is long and complex.
I will try to explain it briefly here.
In Oct. 2009, the Center for Biological Diversity gave a petition
to the U.S. government's National Marine Fisheries Service,
proposing to list 83 coral species
found in U.S. waters as threatened or endangered.
This was based on research assembled by the
International Union for Conservation of Nature.
 |
| coral polyps |
The Fisheries Service then made a Review Team of experts
to assess each coral species' status and possibility for extinction by 2100.
A huge, formal Review Report was published, end of 2011.
At present, the public meetings with scientists and others is part of the examination period to make sure all the top science data is assessed. Finally, the Fisheries Service may propose a list of species (around Dec. 2012) which should become "threatened" or "endangered" and therefore protected
by law under the 1973 U.S. Endangered Species Act.
More comments and public hearings,
and then the U.S. government will make it law,
maybe a year later
in 2014.
 |
| Bleached coral hurt from warming oceans. |
But hey, at least we do something.
Thanks to petitions and the Center for Biological Diversity,
based in Tucson, Arizona.
38 comments:
Biodiversity of plants is and always has been an aesthetically pleasing view for humans. Losing biodiversity of plants would make the majority of our planet boring. Eighty-three species of corals should be preserved. I am glad to see that there is progress to the preservation of corals. - Slade
It's easy to say, so what if coral dies, that is the price you pay for human population, but we must remember that we are a part of nature it is our duty to preserve and maintain nature how it has protected and maintained us. dgon4321
First,I have to acknowledge that I knew very little about biodiversity, which is ashame because I live in Miami, about one hundred miles from the Florida Keys,one of the richest, most diverse and unique coral reef reservoirs in the world.I go to the Keys every now and then, and I see advertisings inviting tourists to visit the coral reef reservoirs, but I did not really know that they risk extinctiondue to salinization and the disproportional growth of population in South Florida. Fortunately, I learned that a group of biologists, environmentalists, andconservationists have been working around the clock to include important speciesin the list of threatened/endangered species. I also noticed that it is noteasy to “make the list” since the process is lengthy and time consuming. But I thinkthey are doing an excellent job. As the “Center for Biological Diversity”indicates, so far they have managed to protect about 360 species under the Endangered Species Act and are working on more. They have also managed toprotect thousands and thousands of miles along rivers and acres of reservoirs, safe-heavenfor coral reefs and other species. Ipersonally congratulate those who are working on these projects. We all willbenefit from it one way or the other. We must keep the balance between economic growth and the health of nature. We must safe that balance the future.
DOWELL
The causes of the coral's extinction are diverse, but they all come back to one culprit: us. Polluted runoff from agriculture simply chokes them, overfishing with dynamite or poisons to kill big amounts of fish. Coral Reefs are home to more than 25% of total marine species. Without the coral’s we have no coral reef to dive or snorkel in. Why does it have to take so many years for a law to be effective? Lets get our voice out there and help protect our planet!
JDD
Corals are very beautiful and interesting creatures of the sea.They are living things just like humans and should be protected.Some people do not realize how important these creatures are to the sea and creatures of the sea, so if the U.S. government is doing something about it, that's great news.S.A.
Corals are important to our nature and our planet. We should take action and try to preserve them as best as we can. Corals provide homes to many animals of the sea, and no one likes their home to be destroyed. Take action, and let's help the environment. -B.A
Corals are precious living creatures. They serve many purposes to sea animals. One of those purposes are shelters, how would you like it if someone took your home away , or polluted it. We should all come together and protect corals. There living art and should stay in the ocean.-C.A
I agree with JDD, coral reefs are a vital part of our ocean and should always be protected. Coral reefs are a delicate species and should be treated that way. Unfortunately, we do not realize that we harm these precious rock flowers constantly. Once a coral dies it turns white like the photogragh, and we loose a little bit of our colorful world. We should all fight for our government to acklowedge the deficit in thier process and strive for a faster process before it is to late. *KPG*
I’m glad to see people working to save our coral reefs but the process is frustratingly slow. Without coral reefs the amount of carbon dioxide in water would rise dramatically affecting all species on earth. They also provide barriers between the ocean and shores in many places.
-JH
Interesting article, like another person said I also did not anything about biodiversity. In my opinion there shouldn't be any wait or process for this things to happen right away. We can't just stop growing a human race, but we can sure do something to protect certain species of marine life, is impossible to imagine an ocean without corals, at least to me. But at least something is being done about something is better than nothing. LEG
The importance of these coral to the earth's biota is unfathomable. All life deserves some type protection to ensure their continued existence. JB
Once again we must wait until the word "extinction" comes into play. Why do we wait this long? The protection of the coral reefs and any other living things should come natural to us. R.R
Its times like this that I am proud to say I am an American. We are diverse in what is important and from each other we learn to appreciate what is important. Like many, I was not aware of the loss that is going on in our grate oceans. I am grateful for those that raise awareness. Yes, it takes a while for action to take its course. However, it is in this plight that all of us learn the importance of awareness. MMSEAWOLF
Coral Reef's are very important to the world in the sea. So many animals and creatures in the sea find corals as a place of existence. The way I feel we should to, so lets stand up for corals and protect them in the ways they need to be.
AA
"God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.'"(Genesis 1:28 NIV) From the beginning of time, we've been summoned to be caretakers to the earth. Therefore, which other law do we need to take action to protect these reefs? These corals are essential to other wildlife, so unless the world wants a cataclysmic domino effect with nature itself, the time to answer the call to action is now. All eighty-three species are withering at our feet and only we can keep the fouls of extinction at bay.
~MMB
It is easy to say, “Protect the coral!”, “save our reefs!”, but the issue here is beyond a committee or organizations control. Putting these species on an endangered list will stop people from damaging or removing this coral from the sea floor (removal of coral is illegal) but it is climate change that is diminishing their existents. The climate changes due to overpopulation which leads to more emissions release. So how do you stop population growth? Have a family limit like certain areas in china?-JLH
I believe people and corporations should do more. They should try to narrow the time the process takes to improve the situation. It is true that corals and other marine plants are being threatened at this very moment because of polluted water. I think more people should be concern of this and work together because these plants are part of our ecosystem and they need to be preserved. IC
Coral reefs is one of earth's natural beauty and we need to do what ever we can to save them because losing these corals would be tragic and everybody would feel it's effect
-OM
I agree that the process of getting something on the endangered list is frustrating slow. Why wait till it is endangered in order to start taking action? I was just informed of this problem, by the time it becomes a law I don't know where the coral will stand. eherr
Any life form has the right to life no matter how or where it lives. As humans we are the most dangerous species to other species and we always put any other specie on second place. I hope one day our brain capacity increases to finally realize all the wrongdoings. Wait for evolution....is all we can do NDF
I don’t understand why there even is a process of endangered species. We should be preserving all life in this world. Four to five years is way too long of a process, these species may die off by then. I have had the privilege to see the coral reefs in the Florida Keys and they are some of the most beautiful things in the planet. We are letting all the natural beauty of the world die and all we can do is hold for four or five years to see if they are to be protected. JLS
Coral reefs are considered as the rainforest of the sea, just imagine the importance of coral reefs in marine ecosytems. Coral reefs are the biggest living structures on earth. One of the leading threats to the reefs of the world is pollution of the ocean water.Every year gallons of oils, pesticides, fertilizers and sewage contaminate the oceans. All these agents cause waterpollution, changing the marine chemistry. Agriculture waste results in increase growth of algae, which in turn reduces light availability to corals. Of course, human civilization is the top threat to these fragile ecosystems. Damages caused by natural threats to coral reefs are minimal and can be recovered in time. My thought, it is high time that we devise some effective way of saving the corals and coral reefs and perform our duty to save them from the potential threats. AF
Coral reefs are considered as the rainforest of the sea, just imagine the importance of coral reefs in marine ecosytems. Coral reefs are the biggest living structures on earth. One of the leading threats to the reefs of the world is pollution of the ocean water.Every year gallons of oils, pesticides, fertilizers and sewage contaminate the oceans. All these agents cause waterpollution, changing the marine chemistry. Agriculture waste results in increase growth of algae, which in turn reduces light availability to corals. Of course, human civilization is the top threat to these fragile ecosystems. Damages caused by natural threats to coral reefs are minimal and can be recovered in time. My thought, it is high time that we devise some effective way of saving the corals and coral reefs and perform our duty to save them from the potential threats. AF
People should naturally be concerned about the endangerment of species because they represent a large part in our environment, but it is easily forgotten in our everyday lives. The process of declaring it a law shouldn't be as lengthy as it is because meanwhile there is no protection on the species. What we should work on next is a temporary law/rule that will protect or at least limit action on endangered species, while the law is pending (not a guarantee it will be passed). ~vm
Anonymous said …
I think the major problem with this issue is the ignorance of the human species to see coral reef as being equal to us. I know, that sounds far fetch, how can someone possibly compare the life of a human to the life of coral reef? My point is that we fail to see it as life, something living, and what makes matters worse is that we are the main cause of the danger of the coral reef becoming extinct. So don’t we as humans living in a world surrounded by nature, which has no say in what is it done with it, owe it the ultimate servitude? - S.M.R
From a human perspective, we are the highest species on earth. We achieved a variety of things, and moreover have all the skills that animals and plants are missing to 'compete' with us. Therefore it is our duty to take care and protect the other species that are sharing this world with us. Instead, plants, animals, and recently corals, threaten to extinct, and show us over and over again that we have become way too selfish. We are lacking to fullfill our duty. How were we able to let it come that far at all? Why does our nature need to slowly die, before we realize something needs to happen? And then, we actually need a governmental permit to save species that are threatened to extinct because of human population? Tell me again why we call ourselves the most intelligent and highest creature on this planet, because I can't see anything of that in this behaviour.-SZ
Coral is a species just like anmials and humans....they have the right to live just like us......we should protect them and be thier voice.....mb
I’m glad to hear that the government is doing something about our corals. The animals in the sea shouldn’t stay without a home. And also corals are very pretty it would be a shame to see their natural unique structure go to extinction.
-YM
Even if many humans don't view coral as a living thing, they are very much alive and they play a big role in the sea. To some sea creatures, coral are their homes. They are a very unique specie and I really hope that we all can support this in every way possible. C.N.J
Corals are one of the most beautiful things we have in our oceans.I think what the goverment is doing is really great. they should let everyone know whats going on and have more people signing petitions. After all corals are living animals, they shouldnt be treated any different from other creatures.The goverment should just continue what their doing and try their best to keep them alive. - UF
Biodiversity, I believe, is a system of checks and balances. Without the coral that is currently inhabiting our oceans, I'm sure that the underwater ecosystem would be completely different, probably nonexistent. We have to make sure that what is supossed to live lives.
-RaRa
"Survival of the fittest"
If this creature was beneficial to our survival as a human race, then I would agree to urge the government to pass these laws, and try to make it a much quicker process as well. However, the coral aren't beneficial, and they do not affect our survival if they become extinct. I honestly do not see a purpose in wasting money trying to preserve them.
Patrick Bateman
Its a shame that in the past 15 years, almost 90 percent of the elk horn populations and many other species have disappeared in the FL Keys, but there seems to be a ray of hope, new strains of hybrid coral have been discovered in the most unlikely of places. In the Miami river and the government cut. -bonzi
It's great that the government is doing something about the coral but why does it take so long?! There should be a simpler way to make these issues visible to the government without jumping through hoops. Most things in our society is like that except when ordering fast food. So why can't there be a "fast" way to help endangered species! -RCT
Coral reefs are an important source of marine and human life. Coral reefs are the home of 25% of marine life including fishes, corals, and plants. Our society neglects the benefits, and biodiversity that exist in coral reefs. Awareness to protect this ecosystem is a beginning to preserve it-. G.S.
There are so many species of sea plants, creatures; some of which scientists are not even aware. I can understand the reason why it takes at least 5 years for a review to be approved. To preserve each per year will cost the taxpayer a lot of money. Yes, we need to preserve our planet, but we also need to be practical. SAM
This article really hit home for me. Being that I live in Miami and I love being out in the ocean, it is a privilege to be able to go out and see the world under water. Having read this blog, it made me happy knowing that there is still people out there who care about the ocean and the life in it as much as I do. A lot of people don’t realize how essential it is to have these coral reefs. They provide homes and shelters for other creatures of the sea, while also facilitating some of the world’s most diverse ecosystem. But I believe the most important thing to understand is the beauty they bring into the world. If they were to extinct, the world would be in big trouble.
~JPK
It is encouraging how the U.S. government writes laws to protect endangered species. It is true that it takes some time to react, but at least when result of investigations shows that a species is threatened there are processes to start a review of the facts, and do something to avoid the extinction or minimize the impact of the danger.
MCC
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