WreckDiver
06-19-2005, 08:57 PM
IMO it smells like a plan for them to get more money to "fix" something they cant.
An Article from reefrelief site:
Effort to Designate Three Corals as Endangered Species
Published by Reef Relief on June 17, 2005
Please support the effort to designate three corals onto the Endangered Species List. Send our sample letter by email or U.S. mail, or pen your own letter, and if you can, attend the public meetings and speak out in support of coral reefs. The meetings will be:
* Florida Keys:The hearing will be held as part of the Sanctuary Advisory Council meeting for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary at the Marathon Garden Club on Tuesday, June 21st, beginning at 1:30 pm, with public comment from 2:30 pm. The Garden Club is located at 5270 Overseas Highway, Marathon, Florida.
* Broward County: 7-9 pm on Wednesday, June 22, 2005 at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel, Manatee/Marlin Room, 400 Gulf Stream Way, Dania Beach, Florida.
Send your letter of support. Click here to see a sample letter. Comments will be received from the public until August 8, 2005, and can be e-mailed to Acropora.Info@noaa.gov. Add the docket number RIN 0648-XB29 to the address line. The agency is seeking information from the public on historic and current distribution and abundance, areas that may qualify as critical habitat, and any activities that may be affecting them.
Background on this Issue:
Government Recognizes Need to Protect Endangered Corals
In recognition of the extensive loss of coral reefs in Florida and throughout the Caribbean, new federal efforts are underway to provide additional protection. On May 9, 2005, the Federal Register announced a rule proposal and request for comments on an effort by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to list two species of coral - Elkhorn and Staghorn - to the Endangered Species List. A third coral, the rare Fused Staghorn, was also proposed, but is not being recommended for inclusion by authorities.
The rule proposal notes that NMFS found that coral decline for the two species is estimated at greater than 97 percent. The main factors affecting the two corals are disease, elevated sea temperatures, and hurricanes. Other factors include sedimentation, human-caused breakage, competition, excessive nutrients, elevated carbon dioxide levels, predation, contaminants, loss of genetic diversity, African dust, and sponge boring. The agency determined that the corals qualify as threatened rather than endangered because they are estimated to be capable of surviving for the next 30 years.
The petition for the listing was filed in March, 2004 by the Center for Biological Diversity, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting endangered species and wild places. The coral reefs of Florida and the Caribbean are one of the world's great biological assets, and it is our shared responsibility to do what we can to protect these corals, noted lead author Brent Plater.
Reef Relief fully supports this effort and has launched the Protect Endangered Coral Reefs Campaign to support it. In the past, these were the fastest growing shallow branching corals at the reef, noted Executive Director DeeVon Quirolo. Our 12 year ongoing coral reef survey has documented the extensive decline of Elkhorn, Staghorn, and the rare Fused Staghorn corals in the Florida Keys. (Go to the Reef Relief's online archive of images to see the change over time). We've documented the emergence of white pox disease and it is decimating Elkhorn corals. Working with scientists, we've learned that the disease is caused by a common bacteria found in sewage. Listing the corals will increase protection by addressing global warming, pollution and habitat loss at the federal level to save these important reef-building corals. All three corals should be given the highest level of protection as endangered, not the lesser designation of threatened.
Florida’s Endangered Coral Reefs to be Protected Under Endangered Species Act
Republished by Reef Relief on March 7, 2005
San Francisco- Today the Center for Biological Diversity was informed that the National Marine Fisheries Service (Fisheries Service) will propose to protect two coral species native to Florida and the Caribbean under the federal Endangered Species Act. The two species, Elkhorn and Staghorn coral, have suffered 80%-98% declines throughout significant portions of their range.
The Fisheries Services announcement is in response to a formal petition filed by the Center for Biological Diversity one year ago.
“This is a great day for science, conservation, and the great state of Florida,” said Brent Plater of the Center for Biological Diversity and lead author of the request to protect the corals. “Now we can begin the fun part: working hard to bring these corals back from the brink of extinction with the Endangered Species Act, the worlds most effective safety net for fish and wildlife.”
Once listed, these coral species will have a variety of protections put in place. Direct takeof the corals will be prohibited, critical habitat areas will be protected, and recovery plans will be implemented. Perhaps most importantly, because global climate change is largely driven by greenhouse gas emissions, the listing of these corals will require greenhouse-gas emitting industries to consider the well-being and recovery of these corals before they are given permits to pollute.
Requiring greenhouse-gas emitting industries to consider how their activities are impacting our most productive marine ecosystems is not only right in principle but also eminently sensible, said Mr. Plater. The destruction and loss of these coral species and therefore the loss of major portion of the Florida-reef tract ecosystem will result in the loss of billions of dollars to our economy, the loss of an unknown number of medicines, and decimate local biodiversity. Its just common sense to consider these impacts before it is too late.
“Reef Relief has documented the extensive decline of elkhorn and staghorn corals at Key West area coral reefs. We are encouraged that the National Marine Fisheries Services will propose adding them to the endangered species list. The most effective actions to protect these and other coral reefs from the impacts of global warming can come from the federal level of government. Let’s hope that this signals the beginning of more action at the federal level to reduce pollution and save our coral reefs,” noted DeeVon Quirolo.
For more information, photos, and a copy of the petition, please see our website at http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/swcbd/species/coral/index.html.
Brent Plater
Staff Attorney
Center for Biological Diversity
San Francisco Bay Area Office
1095 Market St., Suite 511
San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone: 415-436-9682 x 301
Fax: 415-436-9683
bplater@biologicaldiversity.org
http://www.biologicaldiversity.org
An Article from reefrelief site:
Effort to Designate Three Corals as Endangered Species
Published by Reef Relief on June 17, 2005
Please support the effort to designate three corals onto the Endangered Species List. Send our sample letter by email or U.S. mail, or pen your own letter, and if you can, attend the public meetings and speak out in support of coral reefs. The meetings will be:
* Florida Keys:The hearing will be held as part of the Sanctuary Advisory Council meeting for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary at the Marathon Garden Club on Tuesday, June 21st, beginning at 1:30 pm, with public comment from 2:30 pm. The Garden Club is located at 5270 Overseas Highway, Marathon, Florida.
* Broward County: 7-9 pm on Wednesday, June 22, 2005 at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel, Manatee/Marlin Room, 400 Gulf Stream Way, Dania Beach, Florida.
Send your letter of support. Click here to see a sample letter. Comments will be received from the public until August 8, 2005, and can be e-mailed to Acropora.Info@noaa.gov. Add the docket number RIN 0648-XB29 to the address line. The agency is seeking information from the public on historic and current distribution and abundance, areas that may qualify as critical habitat, and any activities that may be affecting them.
Background on this Issue:
Government Recognizes Need to Protect Endangered Corals
In recognition of the extensive loss of coral reefs in Florida and throughout the Caribbean, new federal efforts are underway to provide additional protection. On May 9, 2005, the Federal Register announced a rule proposal and request for comments on an effort by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to list two species of coral - Elkhorn and Staghorn - to the Endangered Species List. A third coral, the rare Fused Staghorn, was also proposed, but is not being recommended for inclusion by authorities.
The rule proposal notes that NMFS found that coral decline for the two species is estimated at greater than 97 percent. The main factors affecting the two corals are disease, elevated sea temperatures, and hurricanes. Other factors include sedimentation, human-caused breakage, competition, excessive nutrients, elevated carbon dioxide levels, predation, contaminants, loss of genetic diversity, African dust, and sponge boring. The agency determined that the corals qualify as threatened rather than endangered because they are estimated to be capable of surviving for the next 30 years.
The petition for the listing was filed in March, 2004 by the Center for Biological Diversity, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting endangered species and wild places. The coral reefs of Florida and the Caribbean are one of the world's great biological assets, and it is our shared responsibility to do what we can to protect these corals, noted lead author Brent Plater.
Reef Relief fully supports this effort and has launched the Protect Endangered Coral Reefs Campaign to support it. In the past, these were the fastest growing shallow branching corals at the reef, noted Executive Director DeeVon Quirolo. Our 12 year ongoing coral reef survey has documented the extensive decline of Elkhorn, Staghorn, and the rare Fused Staghorn corals in the Florida Keys. (Go to the Reef Relief's online archive of images to see the change over time). We've documented the emergence of white pox disease and it is decimating Elkhorn corals. Working with scientists, we've learned that the disease is caused by a common bacteria found in sewage. Listing the corals will increase protection by addressing global warming, pollution and habitat loss at the federal level to save these important reef-building corals. All three corals should be given the highest level of protection as endangered, not the lesser designation of threatened.
Florida’s Endangered Coral Reefs to be Protected Under Endangered Species Act
Republished by Reef Relief on March 7, 2005
San Francisco- Today the Center for Biological Diversity was informed that the National Marine Fisheries Service (Fisheries Service) will propose to protect two coral species native to Florida and the Caribbean under the federal Endangered Species Act. The two species, Elkhorn and Staghorn coral, have suffered 80%-98% declines throughout significant portions of their range.
The Fisheries Services announcement is in response to a formal petition filed by the Center for Biological Diversity one year ago.
“This is a great day for science, conservation, and the great state of Florida,” said Brent Plater of the Center for Biological Diversity and lead author of the request to protect the corals. “Now we can begin the fun part: working hard to bring these corals back from the brink of extinction with the Endangered Species Act, the worlds most effective safety net for fish and wildlife.”
Once listed, these coral species will have a variety of protections put in place. Direct takeof the corals will be prohibited, critical habitat areas will be protected, and recovery plans will be implemented. Perhaps most importantly, because global climate change is largely driven by greenhouse gas emissions, the listing of these corals will require greenhouse-gas emitting industries to consider the well-being and recovery of these corals before they are given permits to pollute.
Requiring greenhouse-gas emitting industries to consider how their activities are impacting our most productive marine ecosystems is not only right in principle but also eminently sensible, said Mr. Plater. The destruction and loss of these coral species and therefore the loss of major portion of the Florida-reef tract ecosystem will result in the loss of billions of dollars to our economy, the loss of an unknown number of medicines, and decimate local biodiversity. Its just common sense to consider these impacts before it is too late.
“Reef Relief has documented the extensive decline of elkhorn and staghorn corals at Key West area coral reefs. We are encouraged that the National Marine Fisheries Services will propose adding them to the endangered species list. The most effective actions to protect these and other coral reefs from the impacts of global warming can come from the federal level of government. Let’s hope that this signals the beginning of more action at the federal level to reduce pollution and save our coral reefs,” noted DeeVon Quirolo.
For more information, photos, and a copy of the petition, please see our website at http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/swcbd/species/coral/index.html.
Brent Plater
Staff Attorney
Center for Biological Diversity
San Francisco Bay Area Office
1095 Market St., Suite 511
San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone: 415-436-9682 x 301
Fax: 415-436-9683
bplater@biologicaldiversity.org
http://www.biologicaldiversity.org