
Caribbean corals
a tad deadly sickly, but can still recover
As if global warming, wars, and major wildlife extinction, famine and human caused air pollution isn't bad enough, our ways of life have also caused the Caribbean corals to suffer a decline of more then 50% since the 1970s. So devastating in fact that today all that remains is about one-sixth of the original coral cover.
The primarily reason is entirely man made and not a natural decline, a huge contributing factor is the loss of grazers in the region, according to the latest report by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Status and Trends of Caribbean Coral Reefs
1970-2012
As the study is called, is the result of three years of work by 90 experts overlooking and analyzing over 35,000 surveys conducted at 90 Caribbean locations since the 1970, including studies of corals, seaweeds, grazing sea urchins and fish.
But, as bleak as that simple reality sounds. Just like human caused and deadly air pollution and global warming can be halted and in some regards, reversed if we take responsible and appropriate action now, so can the decline and eventual death of the Caribbean corals be averted by restoring the parrot fish populations and improving other environmental factors, some already mentioned, such as putting an end to overfishing and excessive coastal pollution, as well as reducing the negative impact our unsustainable fossil fuel industry is having on all life down on Earth. In fact, everything we do to reduce the on going climate change onslaught will also benefit the health of our oceans, fish population and thus the Caribbean corals helping them both to recover as well as make them more resilient to future climate change impacts.
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Carl Gustaf Lundin
Director of IUCN’s Global Marine and Polar Programme
“The rate at which the Caribbean corals have been declining is truly alarming,
But this study brings some very encouraging news: the fate of Caribbean corals is not beyond our control and there are some very concrete steps that we can take to help them recover.”
The report clearly highlight that the healthiest Caribbean coral reefs are those that both harbour thriving populations of grazing parrotfish. Including the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the northern Gulf of Mexico, as well as either having banned the unsustainable modern day fishing industry from the area, or at the very least restricted fishing practices, such as fish traps and spearfishing and made sure that excessive coastal pollution, tourism, and coastal development is not happening.
A stark contrast to the severe coral reef decline in less protected areas such as the previously healthy and beautiful reefs outside Florida, USA.
Human change is needed
“Even if we could somehow make climate change disappear tomorrow, these reefs would continue their decline,”
Jeremy Jackson
Writer and photography
Michael A Koontz
Author page, Michael A Koontz
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Fossil fuel phase out
The only reason we still have so many fossil fuel friends is short term profit.
And since the only way for any company to permanently run out of revenue and find itself with no where to go is to exhaust it´s market and all other potential customers in other markets to vanish and die or at the very least, run out of funds to buy your products..
The only truly sane way forward is in other words for all those nations and corporations, and people, to pick up sustainable products and energy. From Nuclear, wind, water, sun, ground and even some logging. From fishing practices, to clothes and food, tourism, city planning and infrastructure.
If a shareholder cares about it´s future revenue stream, choose to push your influence towards not only a profitable tomorrow today, but also a healthier tomorrow. Not doing so is only making sure your own company portfolio will run out of revenue in the years ahead. And no, climate change, global warming, air pollution, food depletion, the millions already dying, peak water, corals dying. None of it will vanish and go away on it´s own. By not taking action, you are solely responsible for making tomorrow worse, and tomorrow is not 40 years away, it is already knocking on all our doors.
Reality is, the fossil fuel we have stored in the ground, is where it needs to be, untapped and left alone. Even the fossil fuel industry itself knows that the financial cost of getting to that unused fossil fuel is now so high it will soon not even make sense to try and reach it (without even counting the negative global,environmental and health, side effects of that and other unsustainable industries). That is the simple situation of todays world, but like the coral reefs, our planet and our species can still sustain the damage done, reverse some of it and make sure that we limit all future damage. In other words, for once, listen to Obama (unless talking is all he intends to do in this regards) and forget about the confused state of Australia's current world devouring leaders.
A sustainable and healthy world is where the profit, health and life of tomorrow lies. No matter wherever you are and whatever you do.

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