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oceanography, reef conservation

DIve Travel Business News: The Ocean is our Silent Partner: Yet it has No Place at the Dive Industry Table

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http://www.divetravelbusinessnews.com/divetravelarticle/the-ocean-is-our-silent-partner-yet-it-has-no-place-at-the-dive-industry-table

 

Posted:  Friday, November 15, 2013 – 1:39pm

(Dive Travel Business News.com – Nov 15, 2013) — DTBN.com Editorial —  by Laurie J. Wilson

DEMA’s Moving Towards 2020: Developing a Strategic Vision for the Recreational Diving Industry brainstorming session was held on the closing Saturday of DEMA Show 2013 in Orlando, Florida.

Scheduled during show exhibit hours, the meeting was well-attended, and well-organized. Before we were divided into working groups, DEMA’s Executive Director Tom Ingram walked the participants through the latest findings of DEMA surveys that pointed to potential markets to re-engage lapsed divers and activate new ones.

It was the first slide that grabbed my attention:
The slide, entitled “Dive Industry Stakeholders” was described something like this: “You all know this already, but we have to say it anyway”…

According to the Diving Equipment & Marketing Association, the Stakeholders in the Dive Industry are listed as follows:

1. Manufacturers
2. Certification Agencies
3. Media
4. Dive Centers
5. Travel Suppliers

Is there a stakeholder missing?
My first impression was, where’s the environment? Does it not have a seat at the table? Granted, the answer to this question is simple: the DEMA stakeholder list is based on the Association membership segments that have voting rights in the Diving Equipment & Marketing Association. In our association, you pay to play as a dive industry stakeholder.

This point of view completely misses the point, but I am getting ahead of myself.

The Saga of Sipadan
Earlier at DEMA Show 2013, I attended a thought-provoking seminar by Malaysia dive industry pioneer and International Scuba Diving Hall of Famer, Clement Lee. Now a retired partner in Borneo Divers, Clement was once responsible for opening up that gem of an Island called Sipadan, on the east coast of Borneo. And he explained at the Tourism Malaysia seminar how he was partially responsible for closing it down.

As a personal back story, I’d met Clement when I visited the much lauded Sipadan after speaking at DEMA Asia in Kuala Lumpur in 1996. It was the best coral reef diving I’ve ever done. In fact, David Doubilet – along with his 18 cameras – was at Clement’s resort shooting Sipadan’s spectacular coral reef drop-offs and helixing schools of barracuda for National Geographic. Sipadan was really remote – it took a lot of time and effort to get there. It wasn’t cheap either. And the accommodations were “rustic”. Surely with all these factors in place, it would be a gem forever?

But not 7 years after this visit, Clement had decided to pull his resort operation out of Sipadan because of the state of the reefs. He saw that if strong controls were not put in place, the reefs would be destroyed in as little as three years.

Sipadan was being dived to death.

Clement asked fellow dive operators to do the same – to give Sipadan a rest. He explained to the members of the Malaysia Sport Diving Association (MSDA) that while they were all in competition with each other, they shared a common value – and more to the point – a common valuable asset called THE OCEAN. If they could all agree to take care of the ocean together, all the other aspects of their businesses would fall into place in a collaborative win-win.

“The environment is our silent partner,” said Clement to his peers. These are the words of a wise and very successful businessman; yet they fell on deaf ears.

Even with this enlightened plea, the other operators were not interested in leaving Sipadan;  they were hoping to reap all the advantages they could while the going was still good. Clement chose to exit anyway. And it was soon after that that the government asked all operators to leave the island. A strict  limit of 120 divers per day was imposed on outside operators to the island, and several other beautiful dive islands were opened up to balance and mitigate diver impact.

The Success of Sustainability
In 2014 it will be 10 years since Sipadan was “closed” as a resort island and proper controls were put into place to allow it to regenerate itself. It is a huge success story that I’ve asked Clement Lee to share more fully with us in an upcoming post. In a nutshell, the looming environmental crisis in Sipadan brought operators together to work together, it instilled sustainable dive business practices, it opened up new areas, it created more business for everyone, while protecting Malaysia’s marine heritage. The crux of this story is critical for our industry to understand:

The ocean is our silent partner.
And if we don’t take care of it we have no business. It seems so obvious, so essential to our business model and operational mindset, and yet the ocean has no seat at our industry table. It’s evident by its absence on the “Dive Industry Stakeholders” slide at DEMA’s Moving Towards 20:20 brainstorming session.

This is a huge oversight, and we are ALL responsible. The ocean has been our silent partner all along. But with stronger and more frequent storms, coral reef degradation, ocean acidification, coral bleaching, plastic pollution, dwindling shark numbers, diseased whales and dolphins, disseminated fish populations, the ocean is talking to us loud and clear – in the only way it can.

Who cares enough?
Up until now, only a minority of dive operations can be viewed as being truly eco-friendly; giving back through volunteer efforts, partnering with non-profits and scientific groups, making environmental donations as part of doing business, engaging and educating the local community and its own customers, supporting marine protected areas, investing in sustainable infrastructure, and following sustainable practices to protect the environment on which their businesses are based:  Wakatobi in Indonesia, Misool Eco-Resort in Raja Ampat, Matava in Fiji, Southern Cross Club in Little Cayman are some examples.

There are wholesalers and tour operators like Deep Blue Adventures and G Adventures that have the environment and social responsibility as a core piece in their missions. There are dive center owners like Steve Mussman at Sea Lab Diving in Atlanta, Georgia and Sage Dalton at Ocean First Divers in Boulder Colorado who put the ocean first. We are seeing non-profits like the Coral Restoration Foundation partnering with dive operations and dive destination governments to restore reefs and generate new business.

This list of ocean-friendly businesses is by no means exhaustive, but it gives you some examples of those who have brought the ocean into their businesses as a full partner, and not as an after-thought.

It’s time to stop taking our ocean environment for granted.
It’s time to stop ignoring the problem. It’s time to stop paying lip service to marine conservation. Making short shrift of our environmental responsibility is epidemic in this industry.  It’s time to take responsibility.  It’s time for ocean action. We are on the leading edge of ocean protection. As dive business owners we have a vested interest in protecting our marine environment. We see what’s going on. We can do something about it.

Yes. We. Can.

This was the consensus of the participants at a session sponsored by the Colorado Scuba Retailers Association and the Colorado Ocean Coalition, entitled Bluing of the Dive Industry hosted by SSI president Doug McNeeese on Nov 8 at DEMA Show 2013. In spite of the last minute scheduling, and the fact it took place concurrently with the DEMA Show’s Keynote address, it was attended by an impressive cross-section of industry stakeholders who want the environment recognized as an industry stakeholder. Scientists, marine NGO’s, and government policy people were also at this “table”.

This concept of a Blue Industry is a no-brainer that only a relative few are willing to fully embrace. But it’s clear:  If we don’t make an honored place at the head of the table for our oceans, we will have no industry.  The environment must be a part of our business mission, and be an integral part of our day-to-day operations, education programs, trip planning and lifestyle. It’s good for profits, it’s good for the planet and it’s good for people.

It’s a blue attitude. And it’s how we must roll.

Bluing the Dive Industry
You can do one thing right now to make your operation more sustainable. What will it be?  We’ve provided a list of links to Ocean-Friendly Practices on this site. But you can start super simple with this National Geo Ten Things You Can Do To Save The Oceans.  And visit the websites of the examples mentioned above. They will give you some ideas as to where you can take immediate action.

As the Bluing the Industry working groups move forward, I’ll be able to share more specific practices, tools and techniques in upcoming posts.

If you have information, eco-friendly examples or best practices you’d like to share, I’m all ears. If  you would like to join one of the Bluing the Dive Industry working groups I’d be happy to put you in touch with those in the know. Either way, you can email me at Laurie.Wilson@divetravelbusiness.com

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coral reef ecology, oceanography

Audubon and Pew: Florida’s Coastal Birds Could Face Threat to Food Supply, Researchers Recommend Protecting Small Fish as a Vital Food Source

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Debbie Salamone, The Pew Charitable Trusts, 407-982-0958, dsalamone@pewtrusts.org

 

Jonathan Webber, Audubon Florida, 954-593-4449, jwebber@audubon.org

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Nov. 20, 2013

 

Tallahassee, FL.—Already pressured by a steady loss of habitat, many of Florida’s imperiled and iconic coastal waterbirds are vulnerable to declines in small fish that are necessary for their survival, according to a report by Audubon Florida and The Pew Charitable Trusts.

 

“Fins and Feathers: Why little fish are a big deal to Florida’s coastal waterbirds” examines the crucial link between birds and the diverse array of small fish that are a critical food source. Declines in the populations of these fish, known alternatively as forage fish, prey fish or baitfish, could threaten imperiled birds such as Brown Pelicans, Roseate Spoonbills, Black Skimmers and Reddish Egrets, according to the report. 

 

“In Florida, our environment is directly linked to our quality of life and our economy,” said Julie Wraithmell, Audubon’s director of wildlife conservation. “This report shows how important baitfish are to Florida’s coastal birds, environment, communities and economy. Fisheries policy must consider the ecological and economic vitality that hinges on these smallest of fish.”

 

Few regulations limit the amount of forage fish such as sardines and herring that are hauled out of Florida’s coastal waters each year. Forage fish are used for bait, food and commercial products ranging from fertilizer to fish meal. Worldwide demand is growing. In 2012, seven main types of forage species, including sardines, scads, herrings, ballyhoo and mullet, accounted for 20 percent of all commercial catch off Florida. Commercial fishermen, for example, caught more than 9 million pounds of mullet that year, mostly for their eggs, which are sold around the world as a delicacy. 

 

Fishery managers can help conserve Florida’s forage fish and its natural resources by accounting for the needs of predators such as seabirds when setting fishing rules in Florida’s coastal waters. Bird conservation efforts historically have focused on other threats such as habitat loss, with less emphasis on ensuring prey abundance and availability. With many birds already pressured by a steady loss of habitat, this report reveals a new and critical conservation gap at a time when leaders can act before it’s too late.

 

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has drafted species action plans for 60 bird species warranting protection. Among those species are 10 birds that rely on forage fish as part of their diet. Rules and permitting changes to protect these species will be completed in 2014; the plans and rules are slated for final adoption in Spring 2015.

 

The same state agency, which is meeting in Weston today and tomorrow, also has jurisdiction over fishing rules in nearshore waters extending up to 9 miles off the Gulf Coast and up to 3 miles off the Atlantic coast. Although the state has restricted the size and types of some fishing nets that typically snare small fish, a Tallahassee circuit judge ruled last month that the regulations are fundamentally unfair, ordering the state to stop enforcing them. Yet the restrictions—intended to implement a net ban approved by voters in 1994—will remain in effect while the state appeals the decision. 

 

All of these state efforts to protect small fish are critical to coastal wildlife.

 

“Small, nutrient-rich fish are the main course for many birds, marine animals and larger fish such as tarpon, snook  and sharks,” said Holly Binns, who directs Pew’s Southeast ocean conservation work. “It only makes sense to protect the smallest link in the ocean food webs. Investing in protections for forage fish will reap dividends down the line for fishermen, coastal communities, tourists and everyone who enjoys Florida’s birds and environment.”

 

In light of the report’s analysis, Audubon Florida and Pew encourage the state to:

 

·         Account for the forage needs of coastal waterbirds before expanding current forage fisheries or allowing the development of new forage fisheries.

 

·         Ensure sufficient abundance, variety, and sizes of forage fish species to meet the needs of coastal waterbirds and other marine wildlife when setting management limits on forage fisheries.

 

·         Identify and map foraging areas for nesting coastal waterbirds and areas subject to forage fisheries; analyze potential overlap of these areas and activities; and consider conservation and management options to avoid or minimize potential conflicts.

 

·         Protect forage fish habitat such as mangrove and seagrasses, as well as water quantity and quality in the estuaries.

 

 

 

Coastal development in Florida directly harms seagrass beds, mangrove forests and salt marshes, all of which serve as critical nursery habitat for forage fish. Similarly, changes in the quantity, quality and timing of freshwater that flows into estuaries threaten to degrade and diminish the quality of these important places for fish. At the same time, habitat loss and coastal development also pose risks to many of Florida’s bird populations.

 

Yet these birds and fish are crucial to an environment that draws tourists from around the world. Florida’s 2,276 miles of coastline are an international destination for wildlife viewing.

 

Residents and visitors to Florida who watch birds, dolphins, marine turtles and other species had an economic impact of $4.9 billion in 2011 alone, according to the most recent estimate from the state wildlife commission. In addition, the commission found that nearly 1 in 5 Florida residents participate in some form of wildlife viewing. Between 2006 and 2011, the number of people who visited Florida to view wildlife increased 22 percent.

 

“Florida’s birds are a delight for tourists and residents, yet they need help,” Binns said. “The state should recognize the importance of conserving forage fish for the sake of birds as well as other important marine life.”

 

For additional information, including details on specific species, see the full report here at Pew: http://www.pewenvironment.org/news-room/reports/fins-and-feathers-why-little-fish-are-a-big-deal-to-floridas-coastal-waterbirds-85899521601

 

Now in its second century, Audubon connects people with birds, nature, and the environment that supports us all. Our national network of community-based nature centers, chapters, scientific, education, and advocacy programs engages millions of people from all walks of life in conservation action to protect and restore the natural world. Visit Audubon Florida online at fl.audubon.org.

 

 

 

The Pew Charitable Trusts is driven by the power of knowledge to solve today’s most challenging problems. Pew applies a rigorous, analytical approach to improve public policy, inform the public and stimulate civic life. Learn more at www.pewtrusts.org

 

coral reef ecology, oceanography, reef conservation

Wildlife Promise: Artificial Reefs: Restoration Beyond Recreation?

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Wildlife Promise

 

 

 

 

Posted: 19 Nov 2013 12:15 PM PST

 

Over the past few decades the five Gulf States have built artificial reefs both inshore and offshore with the aim of enhancing recreational fishing and diving opportunities. State and local governments on the Gulf Coast have expressed interest in creating additional artificial reefs with some of the money from the federal funds resulting from the BP oil disaster.

 

 

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Artificial Reef in Southwest Florida. Flickr photo by Florida Sea Grant

 

It is important to make sure these projects are funded appropriately and implemented using the best available science.

 

Artificial Reef Science: Are We There Yet?

 

A number of environmental and economic considerations should be considered when planning and designing new artificial reef projects. Water quality, wave interaction, bottom composition, reef profile, and materials used for construction are just a few things that can influence the effectiveness of these habitats, or potentially cause harm to adjacent habitats.

 

For a more comprehensive look at Gulf State artificial reef programs and key considerations in implementation or management, please take a look at NWF’s new white paper: Artificial Reefs of the Gulf of Mexico: A Review of Gulf State Programs & Key Considerations.

 

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Reef Pyramids being deployed in Florida. Flickr photo by Florida Fish & Wildlife

 

The bottom line is that scientists are still working to unravel the functionality of artificial reefs.  Some experts believe that artificial reefs can function comparably to natural reef communities. Others argue that artificial reefs merely attract existing fish from the adjacent open water habitat, forming more dense fish aggregations.  Only time, and additional research, will tell.

 

Natural Reefs vs. Artificial Reefs

 

Artificial reef projects are designed to enhance recreational fishing opportunities. Reef restoration projects are designed to restore the ecological functions provided by reef systems.  In cases where materials of similar type and size to historical or natural habitats-such as oyster reefs-are placed in nearshore waters in order to help the recovery of related ecological services, the term “artificial reef” is misleading. Because reef restoration projects can restore or replace “natural resources, habitats, or natural resource services” damaged by the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster, they may qualify as an appropriate use of Natural Resource Damage Assessment funding, or even other spill-related resources like the RESTORE Act and the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund.

 

Loss of Human Use?

 

Artificial reefs develop communities of encrusting organisms and thus attract fish, but studies have shown that the communities that develop on artificial reefs remain quite different from those on natural reefs. Because artificial reef projects don’t serve to replace or restore the harm to natural resources, they have a more limited source of appropriate spill-related funding.

 

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Nearshore oyster reef restoration at Helen Wood Park near Mobile, AL. Flickr photo by CesarHarada

 

These types of projects could help to restore or replace the loss of human use stemming from the Deepwater Horizon disaster:

 

1.      The oil disaster resulted in significant closures of recreational fishing, boating and swimming ground. Scaled appropriately, artificial reefs could help compensate the public for lost access (or “human use”) to the Gulf of Mexico by generating new opportunities for angling, snorkeling, and engaging in other recreational activities.

 

2.      Artificial reef projects intended to restore or replace existing artificial reefs that were harmed during the oil disaster would be a justifiable use under the Natural Resources Damage Assessment process.

 

The Gulf of Mexico is an economic powerhouse and a national treasure. Natural and restored reef habitats can help make it whole again in the wake of the disaster. Strategic and appropriate investment of spill-related funding to restore its use, wildlife habitats, water quality and diversity of ecosystems will pay environmental and economic dividends for generations to come.

 

 

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coral reef ecology, reef conservation

Coralations: COURT: Federal Government Must Protect Caribbean Coral Reefs, Better monitoring of fisheries required

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A federal district court has ruled that the National Marine Fisheries Service violated the law by allowing fishing for depleted parrotfish and other algae-eating reef fish species without properly monitoring the fishery’s impacts on rare corals that depend on healthy fish populations. The decision came in response to an Endangered Species Act suit filed in January 2012 by Earthjustice on behalf of two conservation groups (CORALations and the Center for Biological Diversity), and Mary Adele Donnelly.  Local counsel for Earthjustice on this case was Miguel Sarriera, who has represented a number of groups battling for environmental protection throughout Puerto Rico.

The court determined the Fisheries Service must do a better job monitoring the effects of commercial fishing on elkhorn and staghorn coral in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. These coral species are protected by the Endangered Species Act and serve as essential habitat for fish and other marine species.  Parrotfish protect these corals by grazing on algae that otherwise would smother the reef; removing the fish allows the algae to dominate reef systems and deny corals the space needed to grow.

In his decision Senior Judge Salvador E. Casellas ruled that the Fisheries Service’s monitoring plan was invalid because, as a baseline matter, the agency didn’t even know how many parrotfish were present to begin with and in any event had not committed to monitoring the impacts of the fishery on the parrotfish themselves. Under these circumstances, the court concluded the Service had illegally failed to establish  an adequate  procedure for verifying whether its fishing plan was preventing excessive harm to  the threatened elkhorn and staghorn corals.

“In the Caribbean, we have two big industries, fishing and tourism. Healthy coral reefs support both industries, but they have been dying for decades. Local communities are working with fishermen to successfully restore their reefs; farming corals on nurseries and transplanting them to natural reef in small protected areas,” said Mary Ann Lucking, CORALations. “The ruling compels government to revisit the failures of the balanced fishery management approach in general versus an ecosystem based approach, like community designated marine protected areas.”

“We are concerned that NMFS continues to open new fisheries without safeguards for protected species,” said Mary Adele Donnelly. “The court has demanded the Fisheries Service looks before leaping into yet another ecological disaster.”

“We know that corals face increasing threats from climate change and disease. Keeping a healthy, diverse population of algae-eaters on the reef is crucial to keeping coral reefs healthy,” said Andrea Treece, of Earthjustice.

“The corals in the Caribbean are dying – anyone can see it. This decision means that there will be enough parrotfish around for a healthy coral reef that could then become home for even more precious reef wildlife,” said Miyoko Sakashita, oceans director at the Center for Biological Diversity.

Parrotfish eat algae that can otherwise smother coral habitat.  U.S. Caribbean reefs already suffer from excessive algae cover, a situation exacerbated by scooping out the grazing fish necessary to hold back algal growth.  This situation leads to what scientists call a “death spiral” in which the removal of algae-eaters like parrotfish leads to increased algae and decreased coral, which in turn results in fewer fish and other reef creatures.

Not so long ago, elkhorn and staghorn corals were the main reef-building coral species in the Caribbean.  Yet these species have declined by as much as 98-99 percent since the 1970s thanks to stressors including overfishing, disease, and climate change.  As the corals decline, so does quality habitat for fish and other creatures.

Contacts:

Mary Ann Lucking, CORALations, (787) 556-6234

Miguel Sarriera, (787) 630-8319

Marydele Donnelly, Sea Turtle Conservancy, (410) 750-1561

Andrea Treece, Earthjustice, (415) 217-2089

Miyoko Sakashita, Center for Biological Diversity, (415) 632-5308  

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CORALations is an award-winning coral reef conservation organization based on the island of Culebra, Puerto Rico.  CORALations’ conservation work includes partnering on the first successful staghorn coral farming and transplantation project in U.S. Caribbean waters.  CORALations comments on the sustainability of proposed development projects in the coastal zone, litigates coastal clean water issues, and comments on endangered species and fisheries legislation.  Visit us at www.coralations.org – or on facebook at CORALations Culebra.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 500,000 members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.  Visit us at www.biologicaldiversity.org 

Earthjustice is the largest non-profit public interest environmental law organization in the world. Since our founding in 1973, we have been dedicated to protecting the magnificent places, natural resources, and wildlife of this earth, and to defending the right of all people to a healthy environment, through litigation and advocacy. Visit us at www.earthjustice.org

coral reef ecology, coral reef educational materials

Coral-list: Live Streaming Video of Coral Spawning in the Caymans

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Dear Coral-List,

I wrote last month about the opportunity to see live-streaming footage of a coral spawning event near Grand Cayman Island via an underwater camera system maintained by the student-based nonprofit Teens4Oceans, local dive center Ocean Frontiers, online marine education organization Ocean Classrooms, and imaging company Wild Goose Imaging. We only witnessed minimal spawning last month, and are happy to share with you that an Orbicella (Montastrea) annularis colony in our viewing area began spawning around 10:07 PM CST last night and we have captured the event on our camera. We had over 3,000 viewers on our website for the show and they spawned right on time!

It is likely the coral will spawn again tonight at 9:15pm-ish MST (10:15pm-ish local time in Grand Cayman), and you can view it along with us, live, at http://teens4oceans.org/index.php/cayman-islands-reef-monitoring-webcam/.

To see footage from last night’s spawning event, watch this video clip, with the action starting around 1:57 — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-JUWueJ5M8&feature=youtu.be

Cheers,
Erin Sams

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—
Erin Sams, M. En.
Program Manager,
Teens4Oceans
Boulder, CO
614.329.3746
erinesams@gmail.com
esams@teens4oceans.org
http://teens4oceans.org
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