REEF RELIEF proudly announces that it is consolidating San Francisco based Coral Forest including its memberships, staff, resources and projects to form one global grassroots marine conservation organization. This new group, retaining the name REEF RELIEF, will have headquarters in Key West, Florida and a field office in San Rafael, California.
Coral Forest was founded in 1993 in San Francisco, California, by documentary filmmaker Jessica Abbe, Rainforest Action Network President Randy Hayes and environmental author Wendy Weir. Also active in its formation were Bob Weir and Bill Kreutzmann, members of the legendary rock band The Grateful Dead. Coral Forest, with more than 2,000 members, has successfully focused its efforts on coral reef conservation around the world, through education and grassroots action. Its 170-page coral reef teacher's guide is being used by every zoo and aquarium in the United States and by more than 1,000 educators internationally. The Coral Forest website has won multiple awards for its educational content and graphic presentation. Its diver and marine education programs with the indigenous people of Honduras and Panama have had a positive impact on the preservation not only of the marine environment, but also of human lives.
Founding board members Jessica Abbe, Scott Price and James Larson will continue to pursue the mission of coral reef conservation under the name Coral Forest, limiting the scope of their activities to production of educational film and video.
Joining the REEF RELIEF Board from Coral Forest are its Executive Director Wendy Weir, Randy Hayes and Bob Weir. Joining the REEF RELIEF Advisory Board are marine ecologist Bill Alevizon and Puksu Igualikinya from Kuna Yala, Panama.
REEF RELIEF founder Craig Quirolo, commenting on the consolidation stated, "Coral reefs are threatened worldwide. This will help us reach a broader audience to increase awareness and concern for saving these biologically diverse marine ecosystems."
Looking forward to increasing his efforts for coral reef conservation, Bob Weir stated, "the coral forests are not only beautiful to behold, they are also an essential component of the Ecology. As goes the coral forests, so goes the rest of the ocean, and then the rest of the planet."
Central to the future of the merged organization will be a continuation and strengthening of existing grassroots conservation programs. "Both organizations have long been and will always be bottom-up, that is, based exclusively at the grassroots level", commented DeeVon Quirolo, "What separates us from most of the other major marine conservation groups is our focus: it's with the local community and how they can learn to protect their coral reef. We feel that successful conservation efforts must begin with those that it impacts and benefits most, and that is the people living near the world's coral reefs." Quirolo points to REEF RELIEF's work in the Florida Keys as evidence of the success of this approach. " For more than a decade, the residents and visitors to the Keys have embraced our marine conservation efforts, whether it is divers helping with the reef mooring buoy programs or residents, businesses and local governments adopting our water quality recommendations."
Likewise, Coral Forest has found success in working at the grassroots level. Wendy Weir, Coral Forest's Executive Director, points to their work in Central America. In Panama, Coral Forest is working with Puksu Igualikinya and the OSISKUN Foundation to implement a series of marine environmental education workshops for Kuna teachers, school administrators, and community leaders throughout the islands of Kuna Yala. The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute has also contributed their scientific and traditional indigenous knowledge to teach the Kuna about the value of their natural marine resources and ways to save them.
In Honduras, Coral Forest is working with MOPAWI (Mosquita Pawisi, Development of Mosquita) to train lobster divers along with dive boat operators in safe diving techniques, to explore the diversification of the marine resource base, and to promote sustainable marine yields while developing land-based economic alternatives. This program has trained 1,600 certified divers in advanced diving techniques, recertified 4 diving instructors, and certified 6 new diving instructors, and they distributed 1,500 "green Diving Guides" to reinforce course content and to serve as a home reference for students.
The new organization, with headquarters in Key West, will strengthen its domestic programs through increased emphasis on educational programs targeted at children via educational facilities and to the general public via television programming and the Internet. REEF RELIEF's website, at www.reefrelief.org , will be expanded and will serve as one strategy for keeping members, media, government and private officials and the interested public informed on coral reef conservation work worldwide. International projects to train local communities to install reef mooring buoys as part of the creation of comprehensive coral reef conservation programs will expand. The next scheduled project is to work with Fury Catamarans and the Cozumel Marine Park managers to install reef mooring buoys to protect the coral reefs at Cozumel, Mexico.
REEF RELIEF also looks to expand its merchandising efforts, especially through Grateful Diver merchandise. The Grateful Diver logo, a red flag with a white lightening bolt ( a symbol of the Grateful Dead), is reproduced on T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, strap wrappers, stickers and window decals. All licensing fees from the sale of these products have been donated to Coral Forest and now REEF RELIEF by Grateful Dead Merchandising to benefit coral reef conservation. New Grateful Diver products are in development.
Dr. Chuck Olson, a director of REEF RELIEF, stated, "The reality today in conservation is that it takes a great deal of funding to save ecosystems and educate people worldwide, and conservation groups need to be managed like astute businesses to do so. The consolidation will allow us to leverage our contributions like never before and be even more effective at supporting our programs. Also, the consolidation makes us one of the more capable and far-reaching organizations, an asset which should allow us to attract more members and greater support from small businesses, corporations and foundations."
The Ground Hog Day storm that hit South Florida on February 2, 1998, sustained winds in excess of 50 knots. These winds generated monstrous seas in the deep waters of the Gulfstream that crashed into the offshore coral reefs in the Florida Keys. True to their reputation, these shallow reefs absorbed the brunt of the storm, however massive amounts of coral were broken, tossed about and overturned. Usually, such fragmentation will allow coral growth to recruit in new locations on the reef. However, this storm was very intense and was followed by a series of smaller storms that continued to toss the broken pieces about covering many in a layer of sand and sediment.
Large areas of elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) at Western Sambo reef were particularly devastated. Craig Quirolo contacted Harold Hudson, the Reef Doctor from the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary who had devised a method for stabilizing broken pieces of elkhorn coral. Within days, they developed a plan to create a coral nursery at Western Sambo reef. Loose fragments of the acropora palmata are secured, creating a "Rosette" transplanting base. The fragments are cemented onto a concrete pad that is fastened to the ocean floor in such a way that it can be moved at a later date. The "Hudson Rosettes" will ultimately be moved to areas of Western Sambo where vessels have run aground and scoured the bottom of coral. The entire rosette can be moved, with the cement pad providing a permanent substructure for the new elkhorn coral growth. "Judging from my initial experiments, it now seems highly likely that the rosette technique will provide a means to accelerate recolonization of both species of acropora, palmata and cervicornus, which is becoming increasingly rare."
"The weather conditions have not been favorable for carrying out this type of project, but we are taking advantage of every break in the weather to fulfill the first goal of fifteen "Rosettes." We have already established ten rosettes with four or five pieces of elkhorn coral on each and the corals are responding extremely well," reported Craig Quirolo. The corals will be photographed on a regular basis as part of the Reef Relief Photo Monitoring Survey.
Craig was assisted by Clyde Hensley (local entrepreneur), Mel Eaton (the dentist with a gentle touch), Joe Hubchenko (owner of the infamous Bottlecap Bar in Key West), Sharona Setlock (artist), Joel Biddle (Reef Relief's educator who composes symphonies in his spare time), and DeeVon Quirolo (Reef Relief's Project Director). Financial support for this project is being provided by The Henry Foundation. Many supplies have been provided by the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. There are still many pieces of coral with minimal chances for survival due to the sedimentation at this site and plans are underway to add more "rosettes" as weather permits.
Photograph of coral nursery project
The national environmental nonprofit Renew America announced that Reef Relief has been selected for a National Award for Environmental Sustainability. The prestigious awards by Renew America are given to programs throughout the nation that demonstrate leadership and excellence in environmental sustainability.
On Earth Day, Reef Relief was honored in the category of Ocean/Coasts at a gala event co-hosted by the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History in Washington, DC.
"Renew America award winners are truly environmental heroes at work," said Anna Slafer, Executive Director of Renew America. "It is fitting to celebrate their ingenuity on Earth Day, which reminds us of our nation's care and concern for the environment."
This year, twenty-eight winners were selected through a rigorous process from over 1,600 applicants who exemplify the ideals of Earth Day. Earth Day gives us an opportunity to focus on the importance of caring for our planet. Renew America's awards honor the people and the programs that safeguard our environment everyday. Each winner is a model of the stewardship message embodied in Earth Day.
"Renew America honorees demonstrate a sincere concern for the environment and offer us workable, grassroots solutions," remarked Tom Davis, Chair of Renew America. He noted that the winners are selected each year by the National Awards Council for Environmental Sustainability (NACES), which is coordinated by Renew America. The NACES coalition is composed of 60 national environmental, nonprofit, government and business organizations including the National Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy, Sierra Club, Environmental Law Institute, EarthVoice, AT&T, National Geographic Society and Smithsonian Institution.
"Reef Relief is a largely volunteer, community-based membership organization dedicated to preserve and protect living coral reef ecosystems through local, regional and global efforts," said Reef Relief Project Coordinator Michael Blades. He added, "over the past 11 years, Reef Relief has made a big difference through direct action programs like the coral reef conservation program, the photomonitoring survey, and the Reef Relief Environmental Center's educational activities."
Reef Relief will be listed and described along with this year's finalists in Renew America's Environmental Success Index, a comprehensive database record of successful environmental programs throughout the United States. It is available in print as well as on the World Wide Web.
As America's leading source for environmental solutions and through its nonprofit status, Renew America identifies, verifies and promotes model programs that protect, restore and enhance the environment. By offering positive, constructive models, Renew America inspires communities, government agencies and businesses to meet today's environmental challenges. For more information about Renew America, please call (202) 232-2252, or to see the Environmental Success Index online, visit http://www.crest.org/renew_america.
Photograph of Renew America with Reef Relief staff
by DeeVon Quirolo, Project Director
Improving water quality is still the key to improving things at the reef. For the past few weeks, visibility has increased at the reef and it is simply splendid. Some of the seafans have even begun to regain their natural purple color and our new coral nursery project has shown some growth in the transplanted corals. We hear that the powers that be have reduced the flow of dirty water from the Everglades into Florida Bay and we have not had any rain, reducing stormwater runoff as well. It really takes so little to give the reef a chance.
Cesspits in Key West
It is a time of great change in the Florida Keys, when things that were ok just a few years ago no longer acceptable because of the increased numbers of people enjoying (and affecting) our wonderful paradise.
In the City of Key West, where fewer than one hundred illegal cesspits still exist amongst the old central sewer lines, the effort is underway to pass an ordinance that will require all owners of improved properties to connect to the municipal sewage system.
The City of Key West is undertaking a massive retrofit of the sewage system, including running new sewer lines to eliminate salt water inflow and intrusion, increase nutrient removal capacity to the treatment plant and then inject the effluent into deep injection wells. So long as the nutrients are removed first, we are in full support of the entire project and applaud the city commissioners for taking a proactive approach.
I have had the pleasure of working with City Utilities Director David Fernandez and State Department of health administrator Jack Teague on this project and meeting with each of the city commissioners and the city manager to gain sponsors for this legislation. It has been a rewarding undertaking--we have unanimous sponsorship by all the City Commissioners. Now it is in the hands of City Attorney Bob Tischenkel and we hope to get it introduced and begin the public approval process soon. We are fortunate to have such great people in charge. Don't miss City Commissioner Merilee McCoy's article on Sustainable Community elsewhere in this newsletter.
Quirolo's Select Images Report
Craig Quirolo has completed a 35-page report of his ongoing survey of Key West-area coral reefs. The report, entitled "Select Images from the Reef Relief Photo Monitoring Survey" provides a visually compelling documentation of the growing number of diseases and other stresses that he has captured on film and video. The list includes yellowband disease, white plague type II, other white diseases, coral bleaching, black band disease, montastrea cavernosa stress, sea fan fungus, and rapid wasting disease.
Copies have been made and presented to each member of the Sanctuary Advisory Council and Craig also made a slide presentation at one of their recent meetings, thanks to the initiative of Vice Chair Don DeMaria and the courtesy of Chair Karen Lee. The members of the Technical Advisory Council (TAC) for the Sanctuary Water Quality Protection Program all got copies. Board member Marci Rose wrote a great cover letter and presented a copy to each of her fellow members of the Leadership Monroe County class. We have provided copies to key policy-makers at the federal and state level as well. A picture is worth a thousand words. Our reefs need help.
Special thanks to President Victoria Impallomeni who supported the expense of many of these copies and to Board member Russ and Cristy Teall, whose printer was used for several of the copies. The great news is that William Kemp, local entrepreneur and long an important part of Reef Relief, has agreed to make it possible to lease a color copier for the immediate task of providing more copies on a more economical basis. Yea, William!!!
The Phosphate Ban
Kudos to Public's Supermarket--we notified them a few months back that a new product they had on the shelves violated the county phosphate ban that Reef Relief had initiated a few years back. After a month, we were advised that their warehouse shipper told them the product did not violate the law, so we turned the matter over to County Code Enforcement. Soon thereafter we received a very curt telephone call from a lawyer who also disputed our position. But, the offending product was gone from the shelves the following week. Thank you Publix for doing the right thing!
Turner Meeting
In February, I was invited to a Turner Foundation grantees meeting that buoyed my spirits. The folks at Turner truly care about the environment--it is evident from their intense level of involvement and their unconditional support of grassroots efforts. The meetings included great workshops on media, organizing and outreach, legislative and advocacy, and a "Meet the Grantmakers" panel discussion. I learned a lot and hope to continue what has been a rewarding relationship. Many thanks to Peter Bahouth, Jenny & Peek Turner, Jonathan Roseman, and all the staff at Turner. The support Reef Relief receives from The Turner Foundation is dedicated to the Coral Photomonitoring Survey.
TAC Needs More Data
At the recent Technical Advisory Council meeting, Bill Kruczynski of the USEPA discussed his ongoing Water Quality White Paper and expressed a desire to fill the gap in information regarding whether land-based sources of pollution are actually reaching the reef. Also disputed is whether Everglades/Florida Bay runoff is harming the reef. Hard to believe for those of us that have seen the green slime come all the way to the reef until you get to the blue water of the Gulfstream. Hard to believe given the science of Dr. Brian Lapointe, Dr. Larry Brand, Dr. Lee Kump, Dr. Ned Smith and others, but hey, this is a big one and we have to be sure. So of course, we support more research defining the trail of pollution out to the reef and we support finding out what is in the water column that is degrading the reef. The ongoing water quality studies by Dr. Ron Jones have raised concerns as to whether his chlorophyll and mercury data are credible and whether he will make it available in a format that others in the Water Quality Protection Program can use. Integration of data would help determine what is causing decline at the reef. The TAC should be providing information that supports good policy-making in the Keys and we encourage their efforts in this regard.
More Cesspit News
Speaking of policy-making, the Monroe County Commission is once again fudging on enforcement of the cesspit ordinance and has even rewritten the law to exempt many properties. However, the good news is that the Health Department has officially approved two aerobic systems for use in the Keys, providing property-owners with two options when they are presented with the need to replace their cesspit (once the county gets back on the bandwagon in weeding them out). The state may once again hold up building permits in the Keys until the county makes a good faith effort to move forward in ridding us of cesspits. It's time to get real, commissioners. Cesspits are illegal.
In the News
Awareness of the plight of coral reefs worldwide is enhanced (and hopefully support for saving them increased) thanks to the broad audiences reading Mother Jones Magazine, E Magazine, National Parks, Sierra Magazine, National Geographic and Water Environment & Technology, all of whom have all featured articles on coral reefs recently (and mentioned Reef Relief, as well). Dive International ran a special on the "Invasion of the Lobster Snatchers" regarding Sport Lobsters Days in the Keys (an event we dread). Kudos to Osha Davidson who authored The Enchanted Braid: Coming to Terms with Nature on the Coral Reef, a great new book. Meanwhile, a local newspaper bemoans the fact that the Keys were overlooked in a USA Today list of the best dive spots; they have not yet considered that it may be because our reef is no longer world class.
Reef Relief is collaborating with the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary to produce the new site brochure for the Lower Keys Region of the sanctuary. It will include information previously available in the "Florida's Coral Reef Ecosystem" brochure, the most widely distributed and popular educational brochure in the Keys.
The new brochure will feature information about the coral reef ecosystem, a chart showing the location of each reef with buoys in the Lower Keys, including Key West, Looe Key, Sombrero, Coffin's Patch and Newfound Harbor as well as the locations of vessel pumpout facilities, public boating ramps, and sanctuary regulations, and tips for divers, snorkelers, boaters and fishermen.
Thanks to support from West Marine Products, the Community Foundation of the Florida Keys, the Key West Hotel Motel Association, Old Town Resorts, the Key West Aquarium, Marriott's Casa Marina Resort, and William Kemp's Blue Marlin and Best Western Hibiscus Motels, a total of at least 200,000 such brochures will be available for distribution throughout the coming year, beginning this summer.
By Joel Biddle
County Commissioner, Mayor Emeritus Wilhelmina Harvey who was recently awarded into America's Who's who of Women took time from her busy schedule to recognize REEF RELIEF'S "Discover Reefs" School Outreach Program. In the program, students from private schools learn about coral reef ecosystems in a series of visits to the REEF RELIEF Environmental Center & Store, on-the-water-visits donated by Discovery Glassbottom Boat Tours, and demonstration-talks in area schools.
"Today, more than ever, we must reach students and make them aware of the reef that nourishes and protects us," says Michael Blades, REEF RELIEF'S Program Coordinator.
In a program designed to reach students from four years old to eighteen years old, students come to the REEF RELIEF Environmental Center & Store to learn about coral reef ecosystems, then go out aboard the Discovery Glassbottom Boat. To reach students Michael visits schools and clubs, gives out posters, circulates displays, and encourages children to draw corals and other marine-life while I give a series of demonstration-talks.
Photograph of Discover Reefs Program
"Discover the Reefs" is made possible by the Discovery Glassbottom Boat Tours and support from the Hard Rock Café with the participants of the Girl's and Boy's Club of the Keys, the Wesley House, Mary Immaculate Star of the Sea, Grace Lutheran, The Montessori School, and the Home School-High School.
"This program will reach over 600 students, says Michael Blades., "but this is only the start, we want to reach as many students as we possibly can."
Photograph of Honoring Discover Reefs Program
by Ernest H. Williams, Jr. University of Puerto Rico Dept. of Marine Sciences (UPRDMS), Raymond L. Hayes--Howard University College of Medicine, Andrew W. Bruckner--UPRDMS, Esther C. Peters--Tetra Tech, Inc., Deborah L. Santavy--USEPA Gulf Ecology Div., Lucy Bunkley-Williams--UPRDMS, Thomas J. Goreau--Global Coral Reef Alliance (GCRA), Garriet W. Smith--University of South Carolina at Aiken, Biology Dept., James Cervino--GCRA, Jan H. Landsberg--Fl. Marine Research Instit., Fla. Dept. of Environmental Protection, Mark M. Littler, Diane S. Littler--Smithsonian Institute, Museum of Natural History, Dept. of Botany, Kim B. Ritchie--University of South Carolina at Chapel Hill, Biology Dept., Erich Mueller--Mote Marine Laboratory, Pigeon Key Marine Research Center, Craig Quirolo--Reef Relief (R), James W. Porter, Karen G. Porter, Kathryn Patterson--University of Georgia, Laurie L. Richardson--Fla. International University Dept. of Biological Services
A disturbing number of new and diverse epizootic diseases, that were not known a decade ago,1 have recently emerged in coral reef organisms. The careful attention given to coral reef communities by marine scientists and sport divers in response to mass coral reef bleaching episodes since 1983 precludes the possibility that these obvious epizootics occurred in years past. Black-band disease has been reported since 1972, but was only observed to possibly cause epizootics since 1986, 2 as finally documented through a multi-year studies in Jamaica 3 and the Florida Keys. 4 The presence of these epizootics is additional cause for concern that the condition of coral reef ecosystems in many areas is deteriorating; and the plenitude of epizootics could indicate an acceleration of this process. This trend appears to be continuing since we are aware of many more epizootic diseases which have not been named and described (and are thus not included in Table 1). We predict that additional new epizootic diseases will appear in coral reef ecosystems.
The full extent of the distribution and occurrence of these afflictions are still undetermined. Reports of these new and grave threats to coral reefs are being incorporated in the Health, Ecological and Economic Dimensions (HEED) Global Change Database currently under development by Dr. Paul R. Epstein, Harvard University (principal investigator; supported by Pew Charitable Trusts). To enhance the accuracy and ease of documenting these diseases, we are collaborating to produce waterproof cards with color photographs showing the key features of known diseases of corals and other reef organisms. The cards can then be placed beside the diseases organism for direct comparison by divers. Additional information on the diseases will also be available in a printed booklet and on the Internet. Observations of diseases on reef can then be directly reported to HEED (Http://HEED.HARVARD.EDU). By collating this field information, we will be able to document the incidence of these diseases both in space and time and to compare patterns of disease incidence with possible environmental factors that might be influencing the epizootics.
The agents causing these new devastating diseases may be harmless associates which have become pathogenic due to the failure of normal defenses of coral reef organisms (impacted by coral reef bleaching, other disturbances or pollution), may have changed genetically, may have evolved to encompass a broader range of hosts, or may represent completely new or non-indigenous species. In any case, the coincident deterioration of the coral reef ecosystem is highly likely to be involved.
The objective of this data collection effort is to improve our understanding of these epizootics. We welcome participation and collaboration in this project by anyone interested in coral reef ecosystems.
1 Williams, E.H., Jr. & Bunkley-Williams, L. Atoll. Res. Bull. 335, 1-71 (1990).
2 Santavy, D.L. & Peters, E.C. Proc. 8th Int. Coral Reef Sypos. (in press).
3 Bruckner, A.W., Bruckner, R.J., & Williams, E.H., Jr., Bull. Mar. Sci. 61, (in press).
4 Kuta, K. & Richardson, L.L. Coral Reefs 15, 219-223 (1996).
5 Littler, M.M. & Littler, D.S. Science 267, 1356-1359 (1995).
6 Smith, G.W., Nagelkerken, I., Ives, L.D. & Ritchie, K.B. Nature 383, 487 (1996).
7 Williams, E.H. Jr., Bunkley-Williams, L., Bruckner, R.J., Bruckner, A.W., Ortiz-Corps, E.A.R., Bowden-Kerby, W.A. & Colon-Jones, D.E. Carib. J. Sci. 32, 111-112 (1996).
8 Landsberg, J.H. Dis. Aquat. Org. 22, 83-100 (1995).
9 Ritchie, K.B. & Smith, G.W. Molecular Mar. Biol. Tech. 4, 345-352 (1996).
10 Richardson. L.L., Kuta, K., Smith, G.W., Arons, R., Goldberg, W., Peters, E.C., Miller, S., Halas, J. Nature (submitted).
Ed. Note: Any researcher interested in receiving a copy of the laminated booklet, Caribbean Coral Diseases, can contact Ray Hayes at Howard University, rhayes@fac.howard.edu.
List of New Coral Reef Diseases:
By Joel Biddle
The REEF RELIEF Environmental Center and Store has seen a lot of activity. Last year we sent out, free of charge, thousands of Teacher Kits to schools, universities, colleges, and clubs, world-wide. This year, we are right on schedule to reach the same amount being sent out and made available at festivals and conferences that, this year, included the Western Triad Science and Mathematics Alliance concerning the "Get Set, Go" Learning Conference in Western-Salem, NC, and the Center for Excellence in Learning held at the Edinboro University of Pennsylvania at the Miller Research Center.
During the winter and early spring we enjoyed visits from schools and colleges, including visits from Sea Camp, MIT, and UCLA. I was especially glad to see Michael Harris, a biology teacher at King's College from Ontario, Canada, who brought 40 students to the Center & Store for their yearly visit. The trip has won commendations from the Prime Minister of Canada, and the students assured me that one of the highlights was their visit to REEF RELIEF.
In December, REEF RELIEF, along with other education organizations, participated in MIMI FEST '97. The Gloucester-based MIMI travels the sea each year presenting hands on learning experience4s for thousands of children and their teachers. In Key West, this year's MIMI FEST was organized by Bryant Diersing of the Monroe County Extension Office 4-H Program with the help of Laura Causey of the Monroe County Public Schools.
REEF RELIEF participated with a series of talks given by me, and REEF RELIEF education materials were made available by Michael Blades. The concern and caring of the students was real. All were concerned about the effects of overpopulation and pollution of the environment. They were shocked to find out that the color of Florida waters used to be a Caribbean-like aquamarine and not green. From us they learned, not only what threatens the reef, they learned that, for every threat that imperils coral reefs, there is the knowledge and technologies to save them.
This spring I joined Michael Blades' initiative and gave a career day presentation as part of the Key West High School Real Team. I was impressed by coordinator Anika Lamba and will increase my involvement. Each time I go out to talk, I learn new things. This time, when I talked to the students about my involvement with REEF RELIEF, I was shocked to hear that most of the students before me were convinced that the reef is doomed. They seemed resigned that there was nothing to be done!
This year, the School Outreach Program was great success, reaching over 600 students in the Key West area (see Discover Reefs Program Recognized. We want to bring our message that reefs can be saved to all ages, so I was delighted to be asked by Barry University to give a series of demonstration-talks to the Elder Hostel, a wonderful group of senior citizens. In April and May, talks were held at the Parish Hall, and also featured beach combing trips the Naval Base.
Also, during the MIMI FEST I was privileged to meet Sarah Clark and the 4th and 5th grade students from the Poinciana Elementary School. The students are gifted students and come to Poinciana from schools all over the Keys. They expressed a desire to make a documentary film on the reef, focusing on water quality. They had learned that I had production experience and wanted to know if I could help them.
I asked where they wanted to show the film and they responded, "Well, we could show the film to students and we will make the film available to them, but if things don't change, by the time they grow up, the reef will be gone." Then they absolutely blew my mind by going on to say, "We want to make this film an appeal from our generation to yours to fix things. We want to send the film to the United Nations, the Executive Office of the President and to the Senate and Congress of the United States".
We slapped five and a film is on the way to being made! They have organized a camera crew, an animation department, a research/interview department, a computer-based research center, an archive department and an accounting department. We'll keep you informed of the progress. Long live the power of education!
by Michael Blades
The past few months have been exceedingly busy for Reef Relief staff and volunteers. We have been continuing our expanded outreach activities through a wide range of events aimed at reaching as wide an audience as possible with our conservation message. This keeps our calendar full with a great diversity of special events in addition to our school programs.
We were a big hit at the Dive Equipment & Marketing Association (DEMA) conference again this year. The conference was held in Anaheim California and we took advantage of it to announce our new association with Coral Forest. It also presented the opportunity to inform West Coast scuba divers about our programs and to meet with representatives of all the major diving equipment companies. This is invaluable because divers are not only a target of our educational outreach but potentially powerful allies in spreading the message of coral reef protection.
Earth Day offered another opportunity to reach large numbers of conservation-minded people. We once again were busy on Earth Day. While I was in Washington DC for the Renew America ceremony (see related story), Reef Relief staff and volunteers were participating at events in Key West and at Bahia Honda State Park. We were unfortunately unable to make it to Ft. Lauderdale's Museum of Science & Discovery due to the fire which closed both US 1 and card sound road but we will be back next year! Thanks go out to Joel Biddle, Andrea & Seth Comstock, John Cornwell, Brad Galaska, Donnie Golightly, Bill Meredith, Lori Oertel, Bob Rowland, Iraida Sabila, Paula Steiro and Jody Weber. Thanks also to Barbara Blackmore who worked overtime to cover our extended absences from the office.
We also participated in ReCaribe 98, the annual Caribbean Recycling conference. This conference, held at the Cheeca Lodge in Islamorada , was sponsored by ReCaribe: The Wider Caribbean Waste Reduction and Recycling Alliance. It brought together parties from throughout the Caribbean to discuss ways to implement and improve recycling. Thanks to Randy Brown, Executive Director of Clean Islands International, USA, who donated the display space for us to educate attendees about coral reef issues.
Our outreach also included an annual visit to the Key West Naval Air Station Community Center at Sigsbee for a presentation to retired military personnel about coral reef issues, a trip to Williams Island for Yachting Extravaganza 98 , a renovated display at the Key West Aquarium and participation in International Year of the Ocean meetings. All these activities add to our commitment to education as part of our Coral Reef Conservation Program.
Finally I would like to thank our most recent intern, Amanda East. Amanda came to Reef Relief from Bloomington, Indiana and spent six weeks working in our office. The assistance that she provided us was invaluable. It is often easy to overlook the commitment and sacrifices that our interns make to be here and our appreciation goes out to Amanda.
The United Nations has designated 1998 as the International Year of the Ocean and Key West businessman Tony Falcone has utilized this theme in the display windows of his famed Duval Street store Fast Buck Freddie's. Selecting the month of April because Earth Day falls during the month, Falcone contacted REEF RELIEF to learn more about Year of the Ocean.
"The goal of Year of the Ocean is to increase public awareness about the role the ocean plays in our lives and to spur action to protect the marine environment", stated Reef Relief Project Coordinator Michael Blades, " Fast Buck Freddie's continuing support of community-based social and environmental efforts is a model for the Key West business community."
In addition to viewing the attractive educational display, visitors to the store can also pick up educational literature about coral reefs or purchase a T-shirt with the proceeds going to help Reef Relief's on-going conservation efforts including the photomonitoring survey, the school outreach program and the coral nursery project.
Fast Buck Freddie's is located at 500 Duval Street and thousands of tourists pass the window daily making it an excellent location for the message of Year of the Ocean.
Falcone has already begun thinking about Earth Day as an annual focus for the April window. For more information about Year of the Ocean visit the web site: http://www.yoto98.noaa.gov .
Photograph from Fast Buck Eddie's
By Amanda M East, Reef Relief Intern
1998 has been declared the Year of the Ocean by the United Nations in recognition of the many challenges and opportunities offered by the ocean as we enter the 21st century. As the world population and standard of living grows, it becomes even more crucial that we understand and protect the marine environment to ensure the long-term productivity and health of the oceans.
To mark the occasion more than 1,600 marine scientists and conservation biologists from 65 countries have issued an unprecedented warning to the world's governments and citizens that the sea is in trouble. Troubled Waters : A Call for Action summarizes the urgent threats to marine species and ecosystems, and calls for immediate action to prevent further damage. The scientist identified the three main threats to the ocean as: over exploitation of species, physical alteration of ecosystems, and pollution.
"A recent New York Times poll found that only 1% of Americans consider the environment the most important problem facing our country," said Dr. Elliott Norse, marine ecologist and president of Marine Conservation Biology Institute (MCBI), the nonprofit organization that coordinated the statement. "Because few of us spend much time below the surface, it is easy to overlook signs that things are going wrong in the sea. But the signs are increasingly obvious to the experts," according to Norse. "The scientists who study the Earth's living systems are far more worried than the public and our political leaders. That's a wake up call that nobody can afford to ignore."
The ocean effects our daily lives, and what we do has an effect on the ocean. From providing food, minerals and other natural resources to enabling recreation and transportation, the ocean is a source of life. Although more than 70% of the surface of the earth is covered by water ,there is still much to be discovered about this vast resource. We have traveled to other planets, yet some of the greatest mysteries still lie beneath our own oceans.
Here in the Florida Keys, North America's only coral barrier reef lies about 6 miles offshore and parallels the Florida Keys, a 158-mile long string of islands, surrounded by mangrove forests and seagrass beds, which together form a fragile, interdependent ecosystem.
The coral reef ecosystem of the Florida Keys is a very special place of incredible biologic diversity. It attracts residents and visitors from all over the world that enjoy diving, fishing, boating and nature excursions. Tourism and commercial fishing are the basis of the keys economy. It is also home to many endangered and threatened birds, fish and other wildlife who depend upon a wilderness environment to survive. Preserving our marine environment, our economy, and our quality of life are goals we can all share.
Water quality decline is the greatest threat to Florida's coral reef ecosystem. Visibility has dropped, nuisance algal blooms out compete slow-growing corals, and a proliferation of new coral diseases has occurred at local reefs. This decline cannot be traced to any single source, but is the result of many cumulative impacts. Florida's coral reefs are at the climatic threshold for reef growth. Pollutants can be traced from the Mississippi River, the Gulfstream, and Florida Bay, as well as the land mass of the Florida Keys. While there is little we can do about some of these impacts, we can help reduce the large amounts of nutrients that are entering Keys water from our activities on land and from agricultural runoff from Florida Bay.
What you do (or don't do) can make a difference to the survival of the Coral Reef Ecosystem.
Here are some tips for divers and snorkelers:
Tips for boaters and fisherman:
If we want to continue to enjoy and benefit from the ocean we must treat them with care and respect.
For more information on the Year of the Ocean Check out their home page at http://www.yoto98.noaa.gov and for more information on coral reefs check out Reef Relief at http://www.reefrelief.org.
Robin Orlandi, for Reef Line
For all of us living in Florida, the May 7th issue of Rachel's Environment and Health Weekly, "Mercury-- How Much is Safe" should be required reading. Waste incinerators, cement kilns and coal burning power plants represent the main human sources of environmental mercury pollution. Florida ranks among the top ten states most reliant on municipal and medical waste incineration and is in the top five in number of incinerators statewide. Mercury contained in the incinerators' stack emissions as a result of burning plastics, paints, batteries (now restricted) and coated papers falls to earth in rain, flows into the surface and groundwater and ends up in the bodies of fish and other aquatic receptors, slowly working its way through the food chain. According to Rachael's, "Humans ingest mercury mostly by eating fish."
Reference dose guidelines for "safe" levels of mercury consumption, set by the US EPA in 1996 to protect children, including children in the womb, are now being challenged to allow more methyl mercury (the more toxic, biologically available form) in the human diet. Because fish is an important dietary source of low fat protein and other beneficial nutrients, some authorities feel that the benefits outweigh the risks. The outcome of this challenge will "determine how strictly the government will control mercury emissions from incinerators and other industrial sources ... and will directly affect the future of the commercial and recreational fishing industries. And of course it will effect the health of people--especially children-- who eat mercury contaminated food."
Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that damages the brain and nervous system. Once ingested, the half life of mercury in the body is seventy days; but in the brain, the "main organ that mercury attacks", the half life is 230 days (half life being the time it takes for the body to rid itself of half the initial dose). The developing nervous systems of children in utero are extremely susceptible to mercury ingested by their mothers and the nervous systems of small children continue to develop until they are at least six years old. Of the 15 million children in the US between the ages of 3 to 6, the EPA estimates that 3 million exceed the safe reference dose for methyl mercury. In light of the increasing number of learning, attention deficit and other neurological disorders in kids, these statistics are truly frightening.
Other telling points from the Rachael's article:
In south Florida the negative impacts of methyl mercury on bass, cormorant and Florida panther populations in the Everglades ecosystem have been widely documented; lakes in the middle of seemingly pristine areas of the Glades are posted with mercury contamination warnings advising anglers to limit or avoid fish consumption. Here in the lower Keys, background testing conducted by environmental contractors working for Naval Air Station Key West as part of its federally mandated Installation Restoration cleanup of hazardous sites on Navy property, reveals that mercury is ubiquitous, detectable in groundwater, seagrass, crabs, lobster, mollusks and fish. The other contaminants mentioned above, DDT, PCBs and other persistent organic pollutants were detected as well.
While the majority of background specimens tested had mercury levels that, by themselves, were below the guidelines for human health concerns, the long term ecological impacts of this metal on wild land-based and marine organisms are poorly understood and documented. And, although the limited sample pool from background sites was by no means comprehensive, some specimens from that pool approached reference dose levels at which restrictions on human consumption would be advisable.
In addition, localized testing at the actual cleanup sites in Key West, Boca Chica and on Fleming Key revealed the presence of significant mercury contamination of sediments, surface and groundwater and elevated levels of mercury in some plant and shellfish/crustacean samples. Evaluation and remedial actions are currently ongoing at these sites. Members of the public interested in learning more about this can consult relevant Navy documents in the Florida History section of the public library on Fleming Street. Also, the Restoration Advisory Board which oversees the Navy cleanup meets monthly at the Holiday Inn on North Roosevelt Blvd. and is open to the public. Meeting dates and times are announced beforehand in the Key West Citizen, or can be obtained by contacting Phillip Williams at NASKW, 293-2061.
All this is by way of saying that we here in Paradise, while we live in an ecological wonderland 150 miles at sea, need to realize that we are not exempt from the kind of environmental pollution popularly associated with industrial corridors and third world nations. Key West's municipal incinerator plume can be seen wafting over the island and backcountry day and night, especially after heavy rains. Our environment and ourselves are susceptible to the impacts of contaminants and multiple chemical exposures, the hazards of which are only just beginning to be understood by researchers.
It behooves us to pay attention to what lies around us, to learn about the potential impacts, and to watchdog regulatory bodies like the Florida DEP and Federal EPA. More often than not, their judgment has been influenced to serve the interests of industry lobbyists seeking to relax protective standards in order to reduce overhead costs of pollution control compliance, the costs to human or environmental health notwithstanding. Although it's become an overused cliche, "Think globally, act locally" must be the operative principle for change. The Keys are in Our Hands.
(Thanks to Rachael's publisher, The Environmental Research Foundation and editor Peter Montague. For subscriptions or more information contact Rachael's Environment and Health Weekly, PO Box 5036, Annapolis MD 21403-7036. Ph: (410) 263-1584 e-mail: erf@rachel.org)
Celebrating the International Year of the Ocean
Reef Awareness Week, the annual event designed to enhance appreciation and support for the coral reef, is planned for July 26--August 1, 1998 throughout the Florida Keys. The theme of this year's Reef Awareness Week is to celebrate the International Year of the Ocean. "REEF RELIEF has organized a full week of activities designed to involve everyone enjoying the beauty and diversity of the coral reef ecosystem, thanks to the sponsorship of American Express," noted Project Director DeeVon Quirolo.
One of the week's highlights is the Annual Reef Relief Membership Meeting planned for Thursday, July 30, sponsored by Pier House Caribbean Spa. This year, environmental leader Randy Hayes of Rainforest Action Network and former chairman of the board of Coral Forest (that recently combined efforts with Reef Relief) will speak on "Reefs and Rainforests: a 500 Year Plan".
In addition, Dr. Brian Lapointe of Harbor Branch Oceangraphic Institution will be a featured speaker in his position as the newly nominated President of Reef Relief and founder Craig Quirolo will give his annual State of the Reef Address.
Dr. Sylvia Earle, former chief scientist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and prominent champion of the ocean, will end the week on a high note by making a special presentation on Saturday, August 1, 1998, at 7 p.m. at Old City Hall in Key West.
Other events include a luncheon and speaker at Cheeca Lodge, the TCI Channel 5 Reef Awareness Film Fest, a splicing party on the docks for the Sanctuary reef mooring buoy program, contests for students, Family Day at the Reef and more.
For a complete schedule of activities, contact Reef Relief at (305) 294-3100, check our website at http://www.reefrelief.org or visit the Reef Relief Environmental Center & Store in Key West.
by Merili McCoy, Key West City Commissioner
A new buzz word, or phrase in our environment today is "sustainable community." The state of Florida has been going in this direction for several years, as have some of our federal entities. What it means is: a community that, to the extent possible, can sustain itself without having to use more resources than can be replaced. This is a trend, by the way, that I fully endorse and support.
At a recent meeting of state officials here in Key West, I was told about a leader in our community who made the statement, "These conchs don't know anything about sustainable community."
Say what?
I maintain "these conchs" wrote the book on sustainable community long before any of us were born!
My earliest conservation lesson was from an old fisherman at the foot of Front Street, where my mother would send me for our supper. As he taught me to scale and clean the fish he took from a live well, (heads, bones and tails went into the soup pot) he admonished me that: "Honey, if you ain't gonna eat it or stuff it, throw it back so it can git bigger, for you to catch another day."
And while we are on the subject of the ocean, there was a conch superstition, that you never, never brought anything into your house from the sea, unless it was to eat. Shells, coral, etc. were very bad luck, and you never saw them in a conch home. You respected that ocean.
Of course cisterns, (which the state has recognized in their "sustainable" model house in Sarasota as a water conservation measure) were our main source of water. Little blind fish maintained the cisterns and ate all the mosquito larvae and other small water creatures. (Tax free mosquito control!) I had three brothers and we all took turns in the same bath water. The soapy wash water from the day went on the lime trees, bananas and papayas. (Our phosphate poor soil was not affected by these soaps).
Our pioneers, without electricity, figured out that homes built up on native stone supports did two things. Kept you above flooding, and allowed the air to move under the house and keep it cool. (No need to spend money on air conditioning here) They also built them with high ceilings, louvered shutters ( let in the air and not the sun), and scuttles on their roofs, for the hot air to escape. They planted trees that provided two resources food and shade, but they planted flowering bushes that were pretty and sometimes smelled nice at night, for the soul.
And while we are at it, let me address the benefits of the key lime tree. It got here from Mexico, where it is a native, and is one of the few citrus that grow true to seed. It flavored and preserved food, (old sour), you used it in your hair as a rinse, it had medicinal properties, and made one heck of a pie! Which, I might add, is another sustainable adaptation of using what is at hand. Fresh milk was not available, but canned sweetened condensed was....Eggs were here, because everyone had chickens in their yard ( and you didn't really need an exterminator if you had chickens.... they ate all the bugs, including scorpions!). Our very earliest pioneers did grow sugar cane.
Back to sweetened condensed milk that got here in a can.... Pepe's cafe ( and others) used to take the empty cans, beat the top into a handle, and riveted it to the side of the can, and you had your take out coffee cup. To this day, I think the cafe con leche tasted better in those "can cups", You also brought them back!
You didn't need fancy chemicals to clean your floors either. Many people crushed sweet basil leaves which grew plentifully in all yards, and used them in their mop water. It made things smell nice and for some reason discouraged ants. Another Key West superstition......steal your neighbors basil and you steal his luck! Everyone swept their sidewalks every day, if they had a sidewalk, and raked it if they didn't. It was called responsibility.
The conch was a tough pioneer, with many ethnic backgrounds and rich cultures blending together to people our isolated rock. They were all together on an island, and had to use what was at hand. There was a protective spirit towards their island, which is what kept it "sustainable". They had lots of traditions, and superstitions which evolved from and into environmentally sound practices. They respected the sea, and took only what they needed. On land they built homes that were cool, and had a little give during storms. They saved all their rainwater ( no storm water run off problems then). If a building was partially destroyed for some reason, they recycled pieces and rebuilt. ( Forget the garbage dump) When the old Convent was torn down ( not a conch decision...they yelled a lot about that one!), the entire community salvaged every part of it they could and it is still here...all over town in many homes.
Certainly our conchs were not perfect....they made mistakes, but to their credit, they learned from them. Later arrivals created "filled" land....that was acceptable and innovative then. You were "building" land, on a limited-land island, and at the time it made sense.
A fact that I ran across when I started my cistern project ( looking for grant funds to build or restore cisterns as a water conservation measure), I learned what I already knew in my heart...Residents of Monroe County use less water, per capita, than any other county in the state. I feel this is due to the mind set of the early conch. Fresh water is precious, don't waste it.
Solar water heating panels were installed here as early as the 30's. A 1980 publication authored by city employee Billy Pinder advocated a city wide energy saving program, with a ;lot of ideas that are taken seriously today. I might further add that anyone here who grew up during the depression has this "thing" that borders on the bizarre. They can't walk out of a room without turning out the light.....even if the room is still occupied!
So three cheers for the "sustainable" conch. These people kept an island going with great respect for the renewable resources. Those of us who came down here and stayed because we liked what we found, must remember to keep it that way.....and we too can become sustainable conchs!
Photograph of George and Lee Witwer and the van they have generously donated