FWD>Press Release -First La
ww_gardiner at ccmail.pnl.gov
ww_gardiner at ccmail.pnl.gov
Thu Mar 21 01:38:00 EST 1996
Mitigation should certainly be considered a late option. Perhaps the real
reason to celebrate is that these methods may prove useful for reestablishing
reefs destroyed by other means or from previous damage.
To declare the project an "overwhelming success" after a short time seems a bit
premature, but hopeful. Most wetland mitigation projects are observed over a
period of years before they are considered a success. Some may do quite well
for the first year or so, only to crash later on.
Bill Gardiner
Battelle Marine Sciences Lab
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: FWD>Press Release -First La
Author: SOBELJ at dccmc.mhs.compuserve.com at -SMTPlink
Date: 3/20/96 4:04 PM
Response to recent posting by Mark Eaking below of Press Release on
Large-scale coral reef removal and replanting:
Let's not forget what mitigation projects are all about, at best they are
designed to minimize or make-up for damage/destruction. While
transplanting mitigation may beat reef annihilation, the destruction of
natural reefs for port development hardly seems worthy of hoopla and
celebration. Even if necessary, it seems that we should be saddened
somewhat by the price we must pay in lost natural habitat. Furthermore,
to declare the project an overwhelming success story because most of the
transplanted corals are still alive a few months after the initial reef
removal and transplant seems especially ludicrous. Am I missing
something here?
Original message follows:
Mail*Link(r) SMTP FWD>Press Release -First Large Scale
Transplant/Hawaii
FYI. I am merely forwarding the message and have no further
information on
this. For further information, please see contacts in press release.
Mark
------------------------------------------
Southwest Region, Pacific Area Office, 2570 Dole Street, Room 106,
Honolulu, HI 96822.
FOR INFORMATION CONTACT: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
John Naughton March 20,1996
at (808) 973-2940 (Honolulu, HI)
or Sue Smith (619) 546-7070 (San Diego, CA)
FIRST LARGE-SCALE TRANSPLANT OF LIVE CORAL TAKES PLACE IN
HAWAII
In the first large-scale coral transplant project ever conducted,
nearly fourteen tons of live corals have been successfully
transplanted from one location to another in Kawaihae Bay, Hawaii,
the
Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
announced today. The project was recommended by NOAA's National
Marine
Fisheries Service and funded by the U.S.Army Corps of Engineers to
mitigate coral loss during proposed harbor construction and to
restore
nearby reefs.
"The Kawaihae project has been an unprecedented success, with
ninety-nine percent of the coral surviving relocation," said Hilda
Diaz Soltero, Director of NMFS' Southwest Region. "This study proves
that large quantities of these living animals can survive the trauma
of transplant." The coral was transplanted from areas that will be
disrupted by harbor construction that begins next week , and will be
moved from holding areas to reefs damaged during past harbor
construction in the bay.
Since September, live corals have been taken from the
"footprints"
of three proposed new breakwaters and relocated to a large
stockpile
site and seven experimental sites ranging from 10 to 50 feet of
water
all within a half mile of the proposed small boat harbor at
Kawaihae.
Participants in the project include NMFS, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Corps of Engineers, State of Hawaii Division of Aquatic
Resources, and the staff and students of the University of Hawaii
Institute of Marine Biology and Hawaii Preparatory Academy.
"Volunteer divers from the Science Department of Hawaii
Preparatory
Academy have been instrumental the transplant effort," said John
Naughton, Pacific Island Environmental Coordinator
for NMFS' Southwest Region. Coral heads were carefully detached by
divers and gently placed in large wire trays which were then lifted
up
off the bottom and transported while still submerged to transplant
sites by boat.
"We'll continue to monitor coral transplant sites during and
after
the nearby harbor construction to see how they fare," said Naughton.
Students and staff from University of Hawaii Institute of Marine
Biology are under contract to monitor the transplant sites for three
years to obtain data on the growth rates and mortality of the coral.
The coral animals themselves are tiny, cuplike creatures with
soft,
fragile bodies about which they secrete a hard stony skeleton. They
emerge only at night when their tentacles expand to sweep the sea
for
planktonic food. Restored coral reefs should provide new habitat
for
many species of fish and sea turtles.
The National Marine Fisheries Service, an agency of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, studies and manages U.S.
living marine resources and is responsible for the protection of
marine mammals and sea turtles as well as marine habitats and
endangered species.
***VIDEO FOOTAGE AVAILABLE***
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