Coral expert Lauretta Burke has worked with some of the best underwater photographers in the world. In the pale blue waters off the shores of places like Jamaica, the Philippines, and Indonesia, these photographers snatch other-worldly images of sharp red coral fans and blue craggy spires, or psychedelic orange clownfish, and carry the precious photos to the surface like pearl divers. But Burke dives with her underwater camera in hand for a different purpose. While the photographers strap on snorkel masks, scuba gear, and fins to search out the most beautiful and pristine coral formations imaginable, she turns her lens on bleached, bombed out, algae-covered, and trampled coral. "It can be difficult finding photos of the sorts of threats to coral reefs that I am documenting," she said. "This is not because the damage isn't widespread, but because nobody wants to photograph bleached-out or algae-choked corals. The damage being done to coral reefs isn't pretty." Coral reefs are increasingly endangered by overfishing, global warming, pollution, sedimentation, and destructive fishing practices like blast and cyanide fishing (where fishermen use explosives or poisons to stun and then gather fish). Damage is so widespread that nearly 60 percent of the world's reefs are now threatened by human activities, according to a global assessment of these habitats conducted by Burke and several other researchers for the World Resources Institute (WRI). Coral bleaching"In Malaysia, on the island of Paulau Rodang, I observed some classic destruction," she says. "There were about 50 people at a time standing on a reef, crushing the coral. So while people were taking pictures of the fish, I was swimming around getting pictures of these people standing on the algae-covered reefs." Last year, WRI released the first, comprehensive assessment of the reefs in Southeast Asia. Home to 34 percent of the world's reefs, the region has the highest levels of marine biodiversity on Earth. Yet, nearly 88 percent of its reefs are threatened, according to the report, Reefs at Risk in Southeast Asia, which Burke co-authored. The most serious threat to coral reefs in the region is overexploitation from fishing. Reefs near major population centers have been hard hit, as overfishing for food and the aquarium trade is widespread, and high levels of development and land-use change - from deforestation to road construction - have increased sediment and nutrient loads in coastal areas. Runoff from the land washes out to sea and can smother corals or boost levels of nutrients in the water which fuel algal blooms that over-run reefs. | | "I've heard blast fishing. It's loud, it moves you," said Burke. "And all that is left behind is a crater of coral rubble. I've seen algae-choked corals and corals smothered by sediment. And I've seen reefs bleached white by warmer-than-usual temperatures." Working with a number of mapping experts and marine biologists, Burke helped to develop a series of indicators to gauge threats to reefs around the world. The resulting "Reef at Risk" indicator uses satellite imagery, local maps, planning documents, and scientific reports to assess the threat to reefs. The closer coral reefs are to ports, oil wells, urban areas, shipping lanes, and other developed areas, the more threatened they are. Burke complains that she spends most of her time diving into high-tech mapping programs on her computer, not the ocean. But when she does get the opportunity to go out into the field, she travels with her laptop to "ground truth," or verify the data in her reports. She compares the state of the coral she finds in the water to what the Reef at Risk model predicted would be there, and plugs the information into her laptop. Most recently Burke co-authored a new report that attempts to assess the economic values and benefits provided by reefs. Coral reefs play a crucial role in protecting coasts from waves and storm surges, nurturing ocean fisheries, and maintaining marine biodiversity. While they make up less than 0.25 percent of the marine environment, they support more than 25 percent of all known marine fish species. The report, "The Economics of Worldwide Coral Reef Degradation," finds that reefs could provide up to $30 billion worth of services, from coastal protection, tourism and recreation, food from fisheries, etc. Pressures on coral reefs, however, threaten to undermine these benefits. Burke's next project is an assessment of Caribbean coral reefs. In the Caribbean, she says, overfishing, sediment runoff, and nutrient pollution are big problems. In Jamaica, for example, years of overfishing have left many of the reefs overgrown with algae. But there is good news. "In Jamaica, it got so bad that it can only get better," says Burke. "When I was snorkeling on Jamaica's north coast, I saw lots of coral recruits and sea urchin, which is a good sign for reef health." With the reefs completely fished out, the pressures on coral have ebbed. "If you stop the stress, you can have significant regeneration," she says. "As long as you have healthy coral nearby, there is potential for recovery." SOURCE - WRISCUBA FORUMDISCUSS THIS TOPIC - Dive in and have your say at Scuba Forum |
