Comment▼ Coral reef canary
© 2007 American Chemical Society
GEORGE DAVIDSON, CALYPSO PRODUCTIONS, AUSTR ALIA
I
had the great opportunity to go “schnoorkeling” on the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Cairns, Australia, in March. At about the same time, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was hosting its 17th U.S. Coral Reef Task Force meeting in Washington, D.C., and a minisummit promoting the upcoming International Year of the Reef (IYOR 2008). IYOR might represent our last, best chance to protect one of the natural eco-wonders of the world and to prevent further coralreef decline, but it will be difficult to convince governments to curb development, coastal pollution, and global warming. Here’s the problem: for 200 years, humans have been overfishing and polluting these priceless treasures. But the situation has gotten much worse in recent times because of development—about half of all people in the world live on the coasts and the fraction is increasing rapidly. Eighty-six percent of people in Australia live in the coastal zone, and 53% of those in the U.S. live in coastal counties. Growth is burgeoning in coastal megacities where development causes sedimentation, nonpoint-source runoff, and eutrophication of coral reefs. Furthermore, globalization introduces invasive species into the reefs, and global warming delivers the final blow, causing disease and bleaching of coral by warmer seas. None of these “drivers” of coral-reef decline have abated; they simply multiply the problem. In a single year, 1998, 16% of the world’s corals were killed by bleaching from unusually warm seas. Some of the more resilient reefs, like the Great Barrier Reef, seem to be recovering. But 30% of all coral reefs are already severely damaged, and the number could rise to 60% by 2030 (C. Wilkinson, Ed., Status of Coral Reefs of the World, Australian Institute of Marine Science; Townsville, 2002). What a shame few pristine reefs are left to serve as research controls—all are affected by one problem or another (Science 2001, 293, 629–637; 2003, 301, 929–933; 955–958). The good news is that people are becoming more educated, and countries are beginning to take action to protect against overharvesting. In 2004, Australia increased its marine reserves (no-fishing, “no-take” areas) from
