Report sounds an alarm on ongoing decline of US coral reefs

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By BOBBY CAINA CALVAN

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A first of its kind assessment of coral reefs in U.S. waters is again sounding the alarm over the continued decline of these sensitive underwater ecosystems, which scientists deem essential to the health of the world’s oceans amid the environmental effects posed by human activity and climate change.

The report, released Tuesday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Maryland, took stock of the health of coral reefs under U.S. jurisdiction, from Guam and Hawaii in the Pacific to Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands in the Atlantic.

“Our work in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans shows a dire outlook for coral reef ecosystem health, from warming ocean waters, fishing, disease, and pollution from the land,” said Heath Kelsey, director of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.

The reefs off the Florida coast are the country’s most degraded, with perhaps as little as 2% remaining, officials said.



FILE - In this Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012, file photo, pieces of stag horn coral are shown growing in Nova Southeastern University's offshore coral reef nursery in about 22-feet of water, near Fort Lauderdale, Fla. A first of its kind assessment of the United States' coral reefs is again sounding the alarm over the continued decline of these sensitive underwater ecosystems, which scientists deem essential to the health of the world's oceans amid persistent threats from human activity and climate change. The report was released Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2020, by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Maryland. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/science-climate-atlantic-ocean-climate-change-oceans-865d4f4a67fb7afe376f3cf39df26390

[rwsanders]

1. More CO2 than currently, but more catastrophic impact.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-8855577/Biggest-mass-extinction-caused-volcanic-eruption-Siberia.html

Key point though is that one of the first things to go was calciferous organisms (use calcium for shells).


Shorter version: We're in BIG trouble.

OK where is everyone on this thing? This is important folks.
You need to promise puppies in the OP.

[Bayard]

2. The majority of humans

Can't see beyond their own little lives. Big Picture, non-existent. Coral? Isn't that something you keep a horse in?

I keep hoping when we get Joe in he will quickly reverse trump's catastrophic carelessness. And lead world-wide environmental concern, and efforts.

[rwsanders]

3. I just get concerned that even here there is so little attention paid to environmental posts.

This is really an emergency and people are just looking away. It is like that case in NY or Chicago where the lady was crying for help and 30-40 people heard and did nothing.

[Arthur_Frain]

4. Okay but honestly if you're not a scuba diver, or you don't recreate in the ocean

this is going to be pretty low on your radar as far as the myriads of ways in which we are trashing our environment, let alone the oceans. I’m a scuba enthusiast and this kills me, I’ve seen the reefs getting sick and dying over the last 30 years.

It breaks my heart, but when compared with the pace at which social media propels lives these days, this gets a 3 second “oh my” from most folks before they scroll onward.

[rwsanders]

5. They just don't understand how this is going to get them in the end. But it is past time for them

to become more aware.

I found this recently and it describes the cascade of failure of the ocean eco-systems we are facing.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-8855577/Biggest-mass-extinction-caused-volcanic-eruption-Siberia.html