First hand accounts of the condition of the Great Barrier Reef?

[Diving Dubai]

My eyes were certainly opened after watching Mission Blue on Netflix. I was just wanting something to pass the time one day. I'd never heard of Dr Sylvia Earle before - what a character!

At the end of the movie she went to dive a part of the GBR - about 100 miles off shore. I think she'd last dived it in the 60's or 70's, anyway this area was devastated and dead

While I don't buy all climate change theory you have to acknowledge that we as a species have placed environmental pressures on the planet.

But I also worry about dive tourism. The Red sea has been heavily affected, I wonder how long Raja Ampat can survive. Obviously there is a fine line between supporting the economy of the islanders and turning them away from fishing, and having too many divers. The Misool no catch area costs $200k per year to manage. The Live-aboard operators who by quantity of dives they run in the area between them donate only $20,000 per annum.

Travel to these remote destinations is easier than ever with them being relatively affordable, but dive tourism needs to be more responsible. Where the line is between making somewhere accessible and thus allowing people to experience the environment and limiting numbers to protect areas I don't know. But clearly having a number of LOBs spewing diesel exhaust around the same sites can't be having a positive effect nor can the damage by a minority (but still significant number) who in their desire to get teh picture of a rare species damage the coral.

 

[lamarpaulski]

Earth getting hit by an enormous comet ( prime suspect in mass extictions) is not going to be a 'lesson' to mankind to ride a bike to work and turn the thermostat down.

The lesson would be to station nuclear weapons in space.

Crazy hyperbole and sky-is-falling hysteria regarding man's influence on Earth just turns people off.

As far as I can tell air and water quality is better than ever in the USA despite big population increases.

Actually, earth IS heading towards it's next ice age (natural cycles due to earth's orbital variations around the sun)...BUT the ice age is being temporarily postponed due to the short term effects of humanity's short term 'burst' of CO2 emissions, which are temporarily offsetting the effects of what would normally happen due to the changing orbital cycles.

The sheer speed of humanity's impact on the planet is too fast for evolution to keep up, so we are careening towards the '6th mass extinction' which is unfolding RIGHT NOW! In another 100-200 years, we'll have finished burning off all the remaining fossil fuels, poisoned the atmosphere, and killed off the vast majority of life everywhere on earth, including perhaps humanity itself! Future generations of humans, should a few of us survive, will stare in utter disbelief at our short sightedness and denial of rational science!

The worst extinction event in earth's history, aka "The Great Dying', was the end-Permian extinction event about 250 million years ago, (when something like 95% of all species perished) was caused by an over heated atmosphere, global warming on steriods......humanity HAS been warned!

Take a look at the planet Venus to get a sampler of the end result of runaway global warming! Surface temps approaching 1000 degrees, surface pressures = to being 1/2 mile deep in our ocean, mountain tops coated with solidified molten metal 'snow'! Yes, it REALLY does rain molten metal (mixed with Steaming Hot Sulfuric Acid) on Venus!

Imagine being instantly crushed-to-death, while being sprayed with boiling sulfuric acid, coated with molten metal and vaporized...all simultaneously!

 

[Z Gear]

I wish a strong movement or organization could be formed which could rally concerned individuals to partake in a cause which focuses on growing and donating healthy corals to a marine conservation organizations which can receive these corals and plant them accordingly. Coral propagation can be taught and the message can be passed on. A great message can go a long way. Imagine how many people can help to do something towards the contribution of replenishing the coral reefs in their area, or even beyond!! Growing coral, and donating them is a personal gift one can make back to mother nature. I think it can be done and it would be great if there was a way this could be a more normal occurrence.

We need to look for alternative solutions that can get people to act or engeged and have an active role. Just stating the problem is not going to solve anything, we should try to send out messages that can energize a lot of folks who care. One segment can help where they can ,while the professionals can take it from there and complete the goal. Wouldn't it be great if we could look at it as: we are aware of the problem but we over came by using overwhelming force". I believe strongly in power in numbers and the more people we have believing and willing to do something the more momentum and strength we have to have to counteract what is happening currently. I sure hope a good marine organization can reach out to us concerned ocean loving people and organize a movement towards a solution. IMO

Frank G
www.zgearinc.com

 

[Hank49]

I wish a strong movement or organization could be formed which could rally concerned individuals to partake in a cause which focuses on growing and donating healthy corals to a marine conservation organizations which can receive these corals and plant them accordingly.

Frank G
www.zgearinc.com

I've been working on and off with a group who wants to produce Diadema, black sea urchins, to repopulate the Caribbean. They were pretty much wiped out in the late 80s?...by most likely a virus or bacteria that came in through the Panama Canal and was pumped out of the bilge of a ship.

But, it's hard. You get groups interested but 1, there is no money in it, other than the promise of healthier reefs and more tourism for the Caribbean nations that partake. And 2, it's just not .....sexy". What would get money is Flipper jumping around, or some pretty fish etc etc. They did videos of the urchins that had been placed and released at Glovers Reef here. Reeeaaallly exciting stuff (sarcasm)....about as exciting as watching rocks.

Anyway, we're still working on it and are trying to get a commercial shrimp farm hatchery to do a small urchin hatchery on the side. We'll see....

 

[Z Gear]

I've been working on and off with a group who wants to produce Diadema, black sea urchins, to repopulate the Caribbean. They were pretty much wiped out in the late 80s?...by most likely a virus or bacteria that came in through the Panama Canal and was pumped out of the bilge of a ship.

But, it's hard. You get groups interested but 1, there is no money in it, other than the promise of healthier reefs and more tourism for the Caribbean nations that partake. And 2, it's just not .....sexy". What would get money is Flipper jumping around, or some pretty fish etc etc. They did videos of the urchins that had been placed and released at Glovers Reef here. Reeeaaallly exciting stuff (sarcasm)....about as exciting as watching rocks.

Anyway, we're still working on it and are trying to get a commercial shrimp farm hatchery to do a small urchin hatchery on the side. We'll see....

I would think now with so many really interested in voicing their support for ocean conservation through twitter, face book, and instagram, that this is a great avenue to get a following for such cause. At least it would be worth the effort.
Or perhaps who knows maybe prisons could teach inmates how to help our oceans in prisons in the south like Florida, etc..
We should strive to find solutions with the resources we have and maximize our collective efforts to make an impact.
Their are more tools at our disposal these days to get the message out, we just need to keep trying.

Frank G
www.zgearinc.com

 

[CuzzA]

We have to elect leaders that will do what they say. You can't claim to be for protecting the environment and then approve a shipping lane dredging project right smack through the reef. Or allowing more agriculture near water ways. Or ignore your funding responsibility to fix a dike to stop huge foul water releases.

We can aquaculture marine life for ocean restoration as much as we want, but if governments are going to allow others to kill it it really doesn't matter.

 

[Searcaigh]

I will be diving on several locations on the GBR during the latter half of November and I will post some pics of the "devastation" if I come across any.

 

[Z Gear]

We have to elect leaders that will do what they say. You can't claim to be for protecting the environment and then approve a shipping lane dredging project right smack through the reef. Or allowing more agriculture near water ways. Or ignore your funding responsibility to fix a dike to stop huge foul water releases.

We can aquaculture marine life for ocean restoration as much as we want, but if governments are going to allow others to kill it it really doesn't matter.

I am firm believer that persistence pays off. Sooner or later the actions of many will tip the scale. Powers at be will be influenced to represent the majority, and take steps to actually help.Not to worry our voices will be heard, more and more people are voicing there concerns on all levels and there are high profile celebs joining in as well. I think this is great!!

For now we have to try to be positive and not give up on doing what ever we can collectively or as individuals to contribute towards this cause.
If there are solutions that involve
the participation of the public, then those with those solutions should come forward and announce them. We have tools (social media that can help). We have many that want to do something, we have resources, but motivation awareness and leadership has to begin with dedicated marine scientist or conservationist who are willing to apply there knowledge to organize groups of people to partake in an effort towards this cause.

Humanity has just as much power to resolve any problem, as they do to create them. I always like to leave hope and an open mind on any problem or challenge because if you can begin to use what you have around you and not dwell on what you can't do or don't have, you have just planted a small seed that soon will take root and grow. IMO

Frank G
www.zgearinc.com

 

[HalcyonDaze]

Might shed some light on the subject: Coral Bleaching Map – ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

 

[clownfishsydney]

My wife and I are currently in Thursday Island, off Cape York (the pointy northern part of Australia) after our 8 night dive trip to the far north GBR waiting to fly home to Sydney tomorrow. We did 25 dives and I can say that I did not see any indication of coral bleaching on the sites we visited (mostly in the Great Detached Reef and Raine Island area). The reefs ranged from magnificent to okay in terms of quality. Therefore, while there obviously has been some bleaching, it is not everywhere.