[Coral-List] Endangered species status will be considered for 82 corals
Eugene Shinn
eshinn at marine.usf.edu
Tue Feb 16 09:33:55 EST 2010
Coral-Listers, Be careful what you wish for and beware of, "The Law
of unintended consequences." At stake is the listing of 82 species
of corals which is the first step toward making all Atlantic coral
reefs off limits to divers and researchers (except for an elite few).
Imagine the increased paperwork ect., that will be required to obtain
a permit to study any of these corals or a reef where they live. If
passed the next step will be designation of critical habitats to
protect these species----from what? and how? Every scuba diver
bubbles Co2 into the water, (exhaled breath contains up to 40,000 ppm
Co2).Down the road we may have to stop scuba diving or mandate the
use of rebreathers. The Co2 battle is being fought vigorously on many
other fronts so why use corals as pawns to create a new tangle of
government regulations and bureaucrats? What is really behind this?
Job creation? More coral police? The only winners I see will be the
lawyers! I think that this time The Center for Biodiversity has gone
over the top and is more obstructionist than I ever thought they
would be. I wonder who supports them? How do they get their funding?
Now that's something to ponder! Lets be reasonable! This action is
not going to save corals. Just look to the geologic record. The
grandest reefs the world has ever known grew during the Cretaceous
when Co2 levels were more than 7 times present levels. To and Earth
scientist this action appears to be just one more issue for people to
disagree on in a country already so politically divided on most any
subject one can think of. No this is not Glen Beck speaking... Gene
--
No Rocks, No Water, No Ecosystem (EAS)
------------------------------------ -----------------------------------
E. A. Shinn, Courtesy Professor
University of South Florida
Marine Science Center (room 204)
140 Seventh Avenue South
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
<eshinn at marine.usf.edu>
Tel 727 553-1158----------------------------------
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