Coral and Climate? Climate and Coral?

So I got an entertaining email asking why I've suddenly climbed up on top of a climate soap box. Isn't this a coral reef-related blog?

Well, consider the unfortunate trifecta of climate-coral connections: rising sea levels, increased sea surface temperatures, and ocean acidification. The first two are pretty straight forward, but the third needs some explaining. First, there's glacial and polar ice melt resulting in sea levels rising at a rate faster than corals can keep pace. Coral grows slowly and needs to remain near the surface for optimum growth. And let's not forget that rising sea levels are also pretty damn threatening to coastal areas and island nations as well.

Next, there's increased sea surface temperatures in tropical and subtropical waters. Just a few degrees outside of optimum temperatures of 20 to 32 degrees Celsius and corals become stressed and prone to bleaching.

Finally, there's the somewhat more complicated process of ocean acidification. Here’s my shot at a basic explanation (and apologies for the gross oversimplification.) Carbon dioxide (CO2)–a byproduct of burning trees, grasslands and fossil fuels like oil, coal, and gas–naturally dissolves in seawater to form carbonic acid, and a few other compounds, importantly for this discussion carbonate. If you've ever heard someone refer to the ocean as a carbon sink, it's this ability of seawater to absorb carbon to which they are referring. A lot of dissolved CO2 in seawater is also consumed by marine photosynthetic organisms like phytoplankton, but that's a story for another time.

Now, carbonate combines with calcium in the seawater to form things like calcium carbonate and is in turn used by marine organisms to build things like shells and in the case of coral, the calcium carbonate hard part of the reef.

The problem comes when the atmospheric CO2 concentrations increase, leading to the so-called greenhouse effect. The additional CO2 in the ocean means more carbonic acid which makes seawater more acidic and reduces the availability of carbonate. With less available carbonate, the water becomes less saturated with the important compounds used in constructing things like coral reefs.

Think of it this way. If you’re a coral polyp (the soft anemone-like animal that builds the reefs) as the carbon dioxide concentrations increase and oceans become more acidic, your rate of construction (calcification) and the quality of your building (your own tiny portion of the reef and the reef as a whole) will go down. Obviously, this is not so great for you. It is also not so great for your neighborhood, in this case, the coral reef ecosystem in which you live. As the problem becomes too severe, the reef may begin to erode faster than it can be built.

Now combine the other two climatic insults of sea levels and sea surface temperatures rising and that's a lot of stress on an ecosystem.

So yes, Virginia... climate issues concern biodiversity conservationists for a variety of reasons.

Quick... Turn Off Your Computer Now!

In the ‘tis better to light a candle than curse the dark frame of mind, I thought I should temper my tirades. Complaining is easy. Taking action is where it all matters. So don’t just sit there at your computer… do something. And here are some great somethings, prepared by the Global and Regional Air and Energy Program, Environmental Defense.

And before you start saying, "Household changes have no effect, it’s big businesses that need to change” you’re only half right. Right now the U.S. releases about 40,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per person each year. If we can reduce energy use enough to lower greenhouse gas emissions by about 2% a year, in ten years we will "lose" about 7000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per person.

So make some changes:

HOME APPLIANCES
Run your dishwasher only with a full load. Use the energy-saving setting to dry the dishes. Don't use heat when drying.

Wash clothes in warm or cold water, not hot.

Turn down your water heater thermostat; 120 degrees is usually hot enough.

HOME HEATING AND COOLING
Don't overheat or overcool rooms. Adjust your thermostat (lower in winter, higher in summer).

Clean or replace air filters as recommended. Cleaning a dirty air conditioner filter can save 5% of the energy used.

SMALL INVESTMENTS THAT PAY OFF
Buy energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs for your most-used lights.

Wrap your water heater in an insulating jacket (but only if the water heater is over 5 years old and has no internal insulation).

Install low-flow shower heads to use less hot water.

Caulk and weatherstrip around doors and windows to plug air leaks.

Ask your utility company for a home energy audit to find out where your home is poorly insulated or energy-inefficient.

GETTING AROUND
Whenever possible, walk, bike, carpool or use mass transit.

When you buy a car, choose one that gets good gas mileage.

REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE
Reduce waste: Buy minimally packaged goods; choose reusable products over disposable ones; recycle.

If your car has an air conditioner, make sure its coolant is recycled whenever you have it serviced.

HOME IMPROVEMENTS
Insulate your walls and ceilings; this can save about 25% of home heating bills.

If you need to replace your windows, install the best energy-saving models.

Plant trees next to your home and paint your home a light color if you live in a warm climate, or a dark color in a cold climate.

As you replace home appliances, select the most energy-efficient models.

SCHOOLS, BUSINESS, AND COMMUNITIES
Reduce waste and promote energy-efficient measures at your school or workplace.

Work in your community to set up recycling programs.

Flex your political muscle! Be informed about environmental issues. Keep track of candidates' voting records and write or call to express concerns.

Is It Getting Hot In Here... Or Is It Just Me?

Stroll with me and see if you notice a trend here...

A 21-page report for policy makers was released this week in Paris. Formed by the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Meteorological Organization, a group of climate experts unanimously linked–with 90 percent certainty–the increase of average global temperatures since the mid-20th century to the increase of human-made greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

The evidence for warming having happened on the planet is unequivocal, said U.S. government scientist Susan Solomon, who also is a member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. We can see that in rising air temperatures, we can see it in changes in snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere. We can see it in global sea rise. It's unequivocal, she said.

Did the Bush Administration take note? Oh mais oui!

Administration officials at a news conference praised the report today acknowledging they would certainly study the report and take recommendations seriously. Yet almost in the same breath, the Administration expressed continued opposition to mandatory reductions in heat-trapping greenhouse gases and warned against unintended consequences–including job losses–that might result if the government requires economy-wide caps on carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels. But the American people were assured that the Administration would take the report seriously.


On December 05, 2006, a blue ribbon panel co-chaired by James A. Baker, III, released The Iraq Study Group Report–The Way Forward: A New Approach. In 160 succinct pages, the report outlines what seems to be apparent to the average sentient observer: the US policy in Iraq is not working. The report lays out several recommendations. The Administration greeted the report with praise, and President Bush, a copy of the report in-hand, assured the American people he would study the report. Thirty-six days later, Bush addressed the nation to announce a US troop surge of 20,000 additional soldiers.


On September 20, 2004, another blue ribbon panel of ocean science and policy experts–the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy–fulfilled its mandate to submit recommendations for a coordinated and comprehensive national ocean policy to the President and Congress. The Commission's final report, An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century, contains 212 recommendations addressing all aspects of ocean and coastal policy. The 16 members of the Commission called on the President to take decisive, immediate action to carry out these recommendations, which would halt the steady decline of our nation's oceans and coasts.

In response to the Commission's findings and recommendations, the President issued an executive order establishing another Committee on Ocean Policy to study the recommendations.


More study? That's strange, particularly given that just 15 months earlier in June 2003, still another blue ribbon panel of experts from the Pew Oceans Commission released their independent report, America's Living Oceans: Charting a Course for Sea Change, which came to exactly the same conclusions as the US Commission on Ocean Policy's report.

America's oceans are in crisis and the stakes could not be higher, begins the Executive Summary. This nation must decide how it will choose to meet the crisis in our oceans. Fundamentally, this is not a decision about us. It is about our children, and actions we must take to bequeath them thriving oceans. These changes in our perspectives must be reflected in a reformed US ocean policy.

James Connaughton, then top White House environmental adviser, said on Capitol Hill, The Bush administration will act with force on a very high level on these issues. Three years later, Pew Commission chair, Leon Panetta, gave them a D- for how it's handled ocean issues.

So you might forgive my skepticism today with all the posturing by the Administration to actually take the climate report seriously. I'm anxious to be proven wrong, but I suspect poor study habits.

Culling The Herd

When it comes to supporting ocean conservation, ocean science, and strategies to stop global climate change, it's hard to know who among the early slate of presidential contenders is either here or there–or anywhere. So I decided to see for myself where they sit on issues important to the marine conservation community.

But getting answers out of public figures is no easy task. And I'm a busy man with no congressional pages to task with digging through reams of public records for inklings of ocean awareness. So I decided on a far less immediate, very unscientific (and probably futile) means of getting to the marrow of the matter.

I sent the following identical email to either the campaign headquarters or beltway offices (or both) of 10 of the early prospects:

Hello...
Can you send or direct me to [candidates name's] position or public record regarding ocean policy, ocean science-research-education, US fisheries, and climate change?
Much appreciated!

Since the ocean observes no political affiliation, I decided to be bipartisan in my query and forwarded emails to the following 2008 early presidential hopefuls (where available, I've linked current congressional members scorecard from the League of Conservation Voters):

Representative Dennis Kucinich
Senator John McCain
Governor Tom Vilsack
former Governor Mitt Romney
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton
Senator Barack Obama
Senator Sam Brownback
Senator Joseph Biden
Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani
and former Senator John Edwards

I'll keep you posted as to any responses.

Dubya Issues a Stunner!

Maybe it's the new Democratic Congress or maybe the man just loves the ocean, but the Administration follows last years announcment of creating the Northwest Hawaiian Islands as the nations largest marine national monument with this recent announcement of an additional 140 million in funds for ocean research and conservation in 2008. Admittedly, a small addition given the severity of problems, but I'll take what we can get. High priority will be given to projects that will advance ocean science and research, protect and restore sensitive marine and coastal areas, ensure sustainable use of ocean resources and enhance domestic seafood supply through an environmentally sustainable offshore aquaculture industry.

Released for the public yesterday under a characteristically periphrastic government title of Charting the Course for Ocean Science in the United States for the Next Decade: An Ocean Research Priorities Plan and Implementation Strategy which outlines the national ocean research priorities for the United States for the next ten years, the announcement also gives a nod to the Great Lakes as well as recognizing the reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. In all, fantastic news for the US aquatic interests.

I suspect the plan should have smooth sailing through the House and Senate and should bode well for everything from NSF ocean science and research proposals and increased opportunities for NOAA projects. Now if we can get some funding for climate change priorities and carbon caps for industry I might actually begin to feel giddy.

Eins, Zwei, Gsuffa! CORAL Takes To The Woods

We at CORAL work hard to keep precious coral reefs alive and protected. And when we aren't busy saving reefs, we know how to relax. And where do San Francisco-based marine conservationists go to kick-it and celebrate a belated holiday party? Why chilly Marin County, of course. Thanks to the magic of Eileen, we all descended on The Tourist Club in Mill Valley this morning. Also known as the Naturfreunde-nature friends-this hidden gem is snuggled into the face of a steep canyon overlooking Muir Woods. Of German origin, the club boasts stunning views, a terrifying and insanely narrow access road with hairpin switchbacks, but most importantly killer German beer on tap.


Almost immediately upon arrival, we all set about to our assigned roles: Brian fired up the barbeque and tended to an amazing meat duet of pork roast and tri-tip, Tom parked himself near the cheese and focaccia, Eileen built a fire in the cast iron stove to chase off the chill, and I fought back the notion that drinking a pint of strong, deliciously dark double bock imported German brew before noon was in any way poor role modeling on my part. The sun was over the yardarm in Fiji, wasn't it?

We tucked into an amazing lunch, spent quality time in conversations, playing "pass the baby," making music, and even a few of us broke into song. And if there is a better remedy to chase off a brisk winter day in Northern California than with homemade apple crisp fresh from the oven, well I can't think of it. Thanks, gang, for a great day (and Kate we missed spending the time with you.) I'm already looking forward to good times and good eats for next year's holiday gathering!

Tsunami or: How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Wave

With nothing exciting to report from behind my desk in San Francisco (and no imminent travel on the horizon) I'm once again calling upon other CORAL staff to pitch-in. Bryan Dias, CORAL's newest Program Manager, is fresh back from Maui and Oahu and I've twisted his arm for some entertaining travelogue. Take it away Bryan:

I was just enjoying a bite and brew at the Koho Grill–a mall restaurant I was resigned to dining in as it was near my Kahalui hotel–and reflecting on what had been, to that point, a successful trip for CORAL.

We had navigated with good results a meeting of Maui-based stakeholders for the voluntary standards project we are facilitating after our positive experience (still a work in progress) with the Meso-American Reef region. The project was moving forward well and folks were demonstrating a lot of enthusiasm for the project – very rewarding.

I had also conducted a truly trying (note sarcasm) site visit to Molokini aboard one of Ed Robinson’s Diving Adevntures’ vessels along with CORAL’s Hawaii Field Manager, Liz Foote. Being that this was the first time I had been in Hawaii for twenty-some-odd years (as a side note – not trying to date myself too much, I was feeling pretty good a few days later when a fellow International Pacific Marine Educators Conference attendee who happened to be female guessed my age to be a mere 29) and my first ever dives there, I tried to take things in stride. But, my first immersion treated me to numerous reef fishes – the common, yet majestic Moorish Idols, butterflies, parrots, damsels and surgeons as well as a Manta Ray and schooling Galapagos and White-tipped sharks. It was truly an excellent intro to Maui’s waters.

As these reflections crossed my mind, I was chatting with a nice local couple (Koho Grill is a “locals” type place) seated at the bar with me who were very generous with their Aloha Spirit and were giving me tips on where to go on the island for a little more flavor than the mall restaurant. Then, came the news flash across the bottom of the screen. Not a cut-in mind you, as every TV in the house was tuned in to watching repetitive golf highlights of the Sony Open on Oahu where just-turned 16 year-old Hawaii native, Tadd Fujikawa, has just made the cut for the final two rounds of the tourney.

The flash was the fact that a large earthquake, somewhere in the eight point-ish range, had just hit off the Kuril Islands (northeast of Japan and east of mainland Russia) and that all of the Hawaiian Islands were under a Tsunami Warning (at this point, it was called a “warning” for Hawaii, Alaska, much of Japan, and Eastern Russia and a couple other spots. Additionally, a huge swath of the Upper Pacific Rim was under a tsunami watch.) It is important to add that I’ve just moved to California from Florida where I lived for 2.5 years prior to working at CORAL and had managed to live in the “Sunshine State” for the two worst hurricane years on record. I was beginning to feel like a natural disaster magnet. Note to reader: please be advised of this before inviting me for a visit to your locale.


I also noticed that people in the restaurant, the locals who made up the majority of customers, became a bit tense. Conversations quickly turned to topics such as “Which channel will have better local news?” “Where are the Kuril Islands?” and (as the bartender flipped to CNN), “As usual CNN hasn’t picked up the story yet–if this were the mainland…” So, I am a pretty sensible guy and also now fancy myself a bit of a battle hardened veteran, due to such factors as being raised in Northern California earthquake country and boarding my house in Key Largo nine times in less than three full hurricane seasons. This being the case, I put back the rest of my pint before heading back to my room for some prep–some things still take at least a certain amount of precedent when impending doom is still some hours away (estimates for when the tsunami might impact Hawaii where cited at “about” 12:23 AM…impressive number for an approximation I thought.)

My hotel room, in the Maui Seaside, still reeking from a previous guest’s stale cigarette smoke in a non-smoking room, was on the second floor but the hotel itself is right on the water. Before you think that I was wasting CORAL funds on such a luxurious room, my primary view was of a container ship and the NCL cruise ship wharf. As I stumbled through the multitude of 70+ cable channel drivel looking for local news, I figured that I would probably be wise to pack my small bag with valuables: passport, laptop, cameras, a change of clothes, a bottle of water. Does my old Oceanic reg make the cut? I did consider using my BCD as a potential flotation device…

I was a bit torn. I was quite tired and had to be up at about 5:00 AM for another round of site visits and the like the next day but was not too convinced that the civil alert sirens that would supposedly sound if an imminent threat were to be substantiated (from what I was hearing, I wasn’t too convinced either that any substantiation or non-substantiation was going to happen) would be sufficient to wake me. So, I decided, with my bag packed and by the door, that I would watch and monitor. By now, I had found local Honolulu news that was providing non-stop coverage, including a reporter positioned at NOAA’s Pacific Tsunami Warning Center where the room was abuzz with activity, computer monitors, and scrolling marquees (man, just like the National Hurricane Center HQ in Miami with which I had become intimately familiar over the past few years, I thought.)

The only conclusions at this point were there weren’t any. Even though both the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (responsible for Hawaii amongst other places) and the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) are considered model warning systems that also demonstrate good collaboration, there was no definitive information for a while. This was due to the overall systemic lack of monitoring buoys especially in the relevant area. So, I resisted sleep a bit longer, stewing a little but mostly fighting to keep my eyes open.


Then, somewhere not too far before 9:30 (now you know why I was happy to be called “29”), a mooring buoy run by the JMA had picked up the generation of a tsunami!

However, the reporter quickly added that it was estimated in the 10 centimeter range, or for those of us still paralyzed without the imperial system, about 4 inches. I was quite relieved and observed that there is, apparently, no minimum height requirement, a la Disneyland attractions, for participation in the tsunami category. I was pretty sure that my 2nd floor hotel room had at least 10cm of clearance.

Then, in a sure sign of things returning to normal, after announcing that the warnings and watches were off (at this point the main Hawaiian Islands were now under a “watch” while the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands maintained their “warning”) and that only much more adventurous revelers than I who might be on the beach after midnight need beware, the news went back to seemingly non-stop golf highlights of the Island’s new favorite son/golfer, Fujikawa. “Island living,” I thought.

Though warning systems have improved and this false alarm event is not exceptionally uncommon for Pacific Islands and elsewhere, this situation did remind me of a very important but not yet fully understood or often mentioned aspect of coral reefs-–physical protection. In many places, coral reefs provide needed buttressing against erosion from wave action–even the extreme kind caused by tropical storms and tsunamis–that threatens terra firma in places where many depend on it for their existence.

This was a nice last thought, or perhaps penultimate one, before I crashed out to rest-up for my next early start the following day. The last one, somewhere in that foggy area between sleep and consciousness, was about the possible benefits for a CORAL fundraising effort–the “I Survived the 4 Inch Tsunami” t-shirt. Some ideas are best left slept-on without taking immediate action.

New Year's Resolutions

With 2006 all but a blur and 2007 breathing down my neck, I think it's worth a few moments to reflect on a year full of amazing work, tens-of-thousands of miles of travel, new friends and hundreds of fantastic people met on the road, and what the next 12 months might have in store. First and foremost, I resolve to not let two or three bum lumbar disks put the kebosh on my getting out to the field and do what it is I love. I don't think the reefs can wait for me to loll about in pain and self pity. So core strengthening here I come.

Thanks to the SF CORAL Program Team: Sherry, Rich, Bryan, Flo, Cheryl Reena, and Liz in Hawaii, Kenneth in Mexico, Allejandro in Honduras, DiDi and Johnny in Fiji, Cam in Papua New Guinea, and Helen in Indonesia for an amazingly successful and fun 2006. Thanks, also to Janine, Tom, Eileen, Kate, and Michelle for keeping the money flowing and balanced so Program can do its thing. And of course, thanks Brian for your steady hand at the helm, holding it all together and giving me the chance to be a part of this team!

With equal amounts of excitement and challenge, 2007 is shaping-up to be an amazing year. We get to return to Raja Ampat, test our environmental standards in Mesoamerica, launch a whole new standards process in Hawaii, focus on program evaluation and assessment, and train hundreds more professionals in sustainable marine tourism. All the while strengthening marine protected areas, increasing community-based conservation, and preserving incredible reef systems. So welcome, 2007! We have a lot of work to do over the next 12 months. Oh, and just so I remain mindful of the long view, 2008 is International Year of the Reef. No rest for the weary.

Blame It On Brian

With my back in full hurt mode, I'm passing the torch of exciting conservation travel (and colorful travelogue) on to my esteemed boss and friend Brian Huse. Brian is a guest speaker this week in Porto Alegre, Brazil (Google it) for the Destinations 2006 Conference dedicated to sustainable tourism. Brian is presenting our work on coral conservation and marine recreation standards development along the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef (Google it). I begged him to email a bit of the flavor of the field. To wit:

Hey guys,
Of course, when arriving in a new country, one looks for the local color, customs, and unique attributes that define "place." Often there will be one feature so pervasive that it almost becomes syonymous with that place - London = fog; Australia = beer; France = berets, you get the idea. While I have only been here less than 24 hours, I believe that southern Brazil = meat. On the way from the airport, I counted 15 MacDonalds. I now find out that Brazilians eat more hamburgers than the US. When a fellow from Panama suggested dinner last night, we were directed to the nearby churrascuria. Of course. Within 2 hours of landing in the country, I proceeded to consume roughly 6 head of cattle before realizing that it would not stop until I turned a little card over. The menu of the hotel restaurant proves little different, the ratio of meat items to non meat is precisely 5 to 1, excluding drinks. But I think if they found a way to infuse beef into the matte...


Porto Alegre is very familiar, feeling quite bit like San Francisco with hills, similar skyline, its being situated on the water, and - at least today - rain. The areas around the hotel are very clean, but the evidence of poverty is prevalent. On the outskirts of the city is a large delta like region with extensive rice fields cut through with canals and rivers. On one canal will be a shanty town of dilapidated shacks and refuse piles, where the next will boast three story mansions with boats docks. There seems to be no in between once you leave the city proper. One curious feature that stands out is the number of locksmiths. In addition to storefronts, many street corners have plywood huts just to meet your need for making spare sets of keys. The city is inhabited by no less than 5 million, but how many keys do you need?


The big buzz early on here was the last minute participation of President Lula at the opening ceremony. There was a rush to get security clearances for those lucky few who were invited to the real ceremony - as opposed to the closed circuit tv virtual ceremony. It was never clear whether I was counted in the lucky few, and I began a series of inquiries. Soon word came back that, YES, I am to have cocktails with Lula and, by the way, you need a coat and tie. My mad scramble to find a tie was averted, however. Lula had abruptly sent his apologies, and perhaps he might show up later.

At noon today the conference facility was no where near ready, so this evening ought to be interesting. Now must prepare for my talk tomorrow - you never know, Lula might show up.

When Good Discs Turn Bad

After several weeks of pain, bed rest, pain, x rays, lost work days, MRI's, pain, refills on prescription pain killers, and still more pain, I finally have at least a provisional diagnosis. And the new info brings me no great sense of relief. Seems I have what is called Lumbar Spinal Stenosis, or a narrowing of the canal in which the spinal cord passes. Due to loss of disc height in my lumbar vertebrae, my discs are getting squished and putting pressure on nerves both inside and outside of the canal. Or at least this is what I think is going on since it changes depending on who is explaining the whole thing to me on any given day.

Regardless of what caused it, bottom line is it doesn't seem to go away on it's own. So it becomes a managed condition through physical therapy and the assorted anti-inflammation drugs. If the conservative treatment brings no relief, there's always surgery which is about as appealing an idea as another long plane ride to Singapore right now. To be honest, the whole thing makes me feel old, defeated, and somewhat angry. Mostly, I'm pissed at these lame disks that couldn't handle the evolutionary challenge of upright walking. I've been scheduled to have a consult with a neurosurgeon (even the name makes me cringe) to determine the urgency for cutting open my back. In the mean time, I'm resisting the temptation of starting a new blog that allows me to vent my spleen on the joys of navigating the health care system. All I can say is do your homework when you are healthy regarding your health care provider including how well your primary care doctor is networked.