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Half of US Coral Reefs in 'Poor' or 'Fair' Condition States NOAA Report

  2. JanforGore
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Nearly half of U.S. coral reef ecosystems are considered to be in "poor" or "fair" condition according to a new NOAA analysis of the health of coral reefs under U.S. jurisdiction.

The report issued July 7, The State of Coral Reef Ecosystems of the United States and Pacific Freely Associated States: 2008, says that the nation's coral reef ecosystems, particularly those adjacent to populated areas, continue to face intense human-derived threats from coastal development, fishing, sedimentation and recreational use. Even the most remote reefs are subject to threats such as marine debris, illegal fishing and climate-related effects of coral bleaching, disease and ocean acidification.

The report was released by NOAA at the 11th International Coral Reef Symposium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. More than 270 scientist and managers working throughout the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, the Atlantic and Pacific authored the 15 jurisdiction-specific chapters of the report. The scientists graded the coral ecosystems on a five tier scale: excellent, good, fair, poor and unknown.

"NOAA's coral program has made some significant progress since it was established 10 years ago, but we need to redouble our efforts to protect this critical resource," said retired Navy Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher Jr., Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator.

The 569-page document details coral reef conditions in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Navassa Island, southeast Florida, the Florida Keys, Flower Garden Banks, the Main Hawaiian Islands, the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, American Samoa, the Pacific Remote Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam and the Republic of Palau.

"The report shows that this is a global issue," said Tim Keeney, deputy assistant secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and co-chair of the United States Coral Reef Task Force.
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Life is born from the oceans, and we are killing them. This is a disappointing report. Why can we humans not get it?
JanforGore

7 responses // Half of US Coral Reefs in 'Poor' or 'Fair' Condition States NOAA Report

  • Shit creek, paddle missing...
    onechance
  • Shame on us, and especially the US government for WASTING SO MUCH TIME. This isn't some political game here, this is our SURVIVAL we're talking about. When coral reefs die, the oceans die, and when the oceans die we all die. Simple as that.
    JanforGore
  • Well JanforGore, I don't have to tell you why, you know why; folks are just not willing to give up their comfortable life.

    I don't harbor hard feelings toward those who refuse to get on board, but I do feel painfully aware that we as a organism called humanity, are not good stewards. shrugging.

    Thanks to folks like you and many others, through the eventual "connecting the dots" maybe we can turn things around.
    queenofit
  • The ocean is LIFE. Lets clean it up, fix it, help it survive. Without the reefs it can all die. We can all die.
    owner1
  • We can have a good life without petroleum products, plastic, pharmaceutical poisons and hormones.

    Everything we need to live is already on the earth, our lakes, rivers, oceans and our atmosphere. We need to change our values for survival.
    TouchArt
  • We can all think of more ways to do with less of the things creating the problems.

    We need to live in harmony with nature, not seek to dominate her.
    jubal
  • Yes! Yes! Connect the dots people! it's there right in front of your face everyday as you work, as you eat, as you relax. It's the little things that add up.
    cibalin

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