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Web Sites
In this month’s column I will highlight significant information about the status of coral reefs and the regulation of the trade in corals and related organisms, which I obtained through two web sites of interest to marine aquarists. The first, U.S. Coral Reef Task Force web page, contains important working papers, reports and summaries of information collected by this body. It includes data on the coral reefs in U.S. waters, especially those in and around the Hawaiian Islands, and on the international situation as covered by its “International Working Group.” The second, The Environmental News Network, is devoted to general information on the environment. Within this larger context it contains many items on coral reefs.The U.S. Coral Reef Task Force was established as a governmental agency in September 1998. It is co-chaired by William Daley, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce, and by Bruce Babbit, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Interior, indicating the double concern of coral reef status as both economic and environmental in nature. The organizational goals, established on March 1, 1999, are as follows:
Launch a comprehensive effort to map and assess U.S. coral reefs in the Pacific
Establish a coordinated network of coral reef protected areas
Implement a coordinated coral reef monitoring program, including support for international efforts, such as the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network
Coordinate efforts among federal, state, territory and other partners to build emergency response capabilities and restore injured coral reefs
Strengthen local and regional efforts to protect coral reefs through support for the U.S. Islands Coral Reef initiative. The task force also passed four resolutions on critical issues facing coral reefs:
1) Support evaluating options to address imports of coral and coral reef species and promote sustainable harvesting of traded coral reef resources (the U.S. is the world’s largest importer of corals, currently importing 80 percent of all coral and 50 percent of aquarium fish traded worldwide)
2) Support the existing U.S. Islands Coral Reef strategy
3) Support the Department of State’s statement on coral bleaching and climate change. The statement acknowledged that in 1998 coral reefs around the world suffered the most extensive bleaching and subsequent mortality in modern record. It is likely that anthropogenic (of, relating to, or resulting from the influence of human beings on nature) global warming has contributed to increasing sea surface temperatures, the extensive coral bleaching and the coral mortality that occurred simultaneously
4) Support the resolution of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperative against destructive fishing practices, including dynamite fishing and cyanide fishing.
U.S. marine aquarists should especially notice that we are “currently importing 80 percent of all coral and 50 percent of the aquarium fish traded worldwide” — this places special responsibilities on us to be sure that collection and transportation techniques are carried out in the most careful manner possible. Of concern to all aquarists as lovers of the sea and its creatures and as world citizens is the statement that “in 1998 coral reefs around the world suffered the most extensive bleaching and subsequent mortality in modern record.”
With respect to the first concern, the International Trade Sub-Group of the Coral Reef Task Force states, in assessing the U.S. role in international trade and protection of coral reef species:
“The United States is currently the number one consumer of live coral and marine fishes for the aquarium trade and of coral skeletons and precious corals for curios and jewelry. In 1996 the U.S. imported over 80% of all the live coral in trade representing at least 350,000 pieces. That same year, the U. S. also imported over 90% of the live rock (reported as Scleractinia). While imports of dead coral have leveled off since 1993, the imports of live coral and live rock has dramatically increased each year. In addition to the direct loss of live coral, coral extraction is contributing to loss of important fisheries habitat.
The U.S. is also a major consumer of seahorses, queen conch and giant clams. In addition to this legal trade, there is also a considerable illegal trade in sea turtle products, such as eggs, meat, leather goods and shell. Although conservation efforts traditionally focus on individual species, the coral reef ecosystem contains interdependent organisms and harvest and trade in one resource inevitably impacts all other reef species.”
In order to ensure the sustainability of these resources the subgroup suggested the following actions:
Short-term goals
increase enforcement capacity to intercept illegal shipments and accurately collect and verify trade data
work with non-govermental organizations ’s and the industry to create educational materials emphasizing concerns regarding the unsustainable trade in coral reef species and destructive fishing practices
explore the applicability of the current cyanide detection test developed by the forensics laboratory of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to be applicable to live tropical fish imports
draft legislation that would include the ability to prohibit unsustainable trade of coral reef species, and require exporting countries to monitor the impact of harvest on their resources. Long-term goals
monitor the global trade in non-protected coral reef species and assess any possible trade threats
promote aquaculture, mariculture and captive breeding propagation programs in the U.S. and abroad for reef restoration and to meet trade needs. With respect to concerns over the general condition of the world's coral reefs, the taskforce document “Coral Bleaching, Coral Mortality, and Global Climate Change” presents alarming information. Rafe Pomerance, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Environment and Development of the U.S. Department of State, who compiled the report, concludes that global warming due to human activity places the reefs of the world in jeopardy.
“Due to their structural complexity, corals are one of the most productive ecosystems on Earth...Despite their readily apparent value, approximately 58 percent of the world’s reefs may already be threatened by human activities, such as coastal development and overexploitation of marine products.
In 1998, coral reefs around the world appear to have suffered the most extensive and severe bleaching and subsequent mortality in modern record. In the same year, tropical sea surface temperatures were the highest in modern record, topping off a 50-year trend for some tropical oceans. These events cannot be accounted for by localized stressors or natural variability alone...Rather, the impact of these factors was likely accentuated by an underlying global cause. Thus, the geographic extent, increasing frequency and regional severity of mass bleaching events are likely a consequence of a steadily rising baseline of marine temperatures, driven by anthropogenic global warming.
Based on early reports, the repercussions of the 1998 mass bleaching and mortality events will be far reaching in time and through space. Even under the best of conditions, many of these coral reef ecosystems will need decades to recover...Trends of the past century suggest that coral bleaching events may become more frequent and severe as the climate continues to warm, exposing coral reefs to an increasingly hostile environment. This global threat to corals compounds the impacts of more localized anthropogenic factors that already place reefs at risk.
Significant attention needs to be given to the monitoring of coral reef ecosystems, research on the projected and realized impacts of global climate change and measures to curtail greenhouse gas emissions. For, even those reefs granted well-enforced legal protection as marine sanctuaries or as areas managed for sustainable use, are threatened by global climate change.” Global warming is not the only factor based on human activity that is negatively impacting the reefs. The second web site listed, Environmental Network News, follows up reports by Joan Klepas in Science (April 2, 1999) that increased carbon dioxide levels have decreased the pH of seawater, leading to a reduced saturation state of seawater calcium carbonate. This may threaten the ability of reef-building organisms to build skeleton. Both of these web sites are worth keeping in touch with for important information.
Periodic Literature
Science News(May 29, 1999, page 343) reports that the abnormally large and fast-growing “mutant,” Caulerpa taxifolia, whose presence in the Mediterranean since the '80s has been blamed on a release from the Monaco Aquarium, is in the news again. French researchers have found that the algae may impact the detoxification system of fishes by interfering with enzyme production. The federal government last month placed a ban on the importation of C. taxifolia under the Noxious Weed Act, the first marine plant banned under the law. Any plant labeled C. taxifolia or resembling it will be barred from entry to the U.S. unless “experts show it is the noninvasive tropical form.”On a final note, soon we won’t need real fish at all. New Scientist (May 29, 1999, page 17) reports that Mitsubishi engineers have developed a remote controlled robotic sea bream. Their next project is to create an artificial coelacanth for museum and aquarium displays.
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