|
Coral reefs
are being damaged faster than they
can regenerate. We have known for
some time that coral reefs are
increasingly threatened by
damaging types of fishing, such as
blast and poison fishing, by
pollution and sedimentation, but a
comprehensive scientific
assessment was lacking. The Reef
Check program was formed in 1996
to solve this problem and to
educate the public about the value
of coral reefs, threats to their
health and solutions to these
problems.
Reef Check is
a unique program that you
can participate in and help
save coral reefs. Reef Check
involves teams of
recreational snorklers and
scuba divers who are trained
and led by professional
marine scientists in basic
scientific surveys of reefs
around the world. The
surveys are simple and
quick, but provide a
scientifically valid
snapshot of the basic health
of a coral reef. If you
would like to join Reef
Check or to support the
program with a donation,
please see our website at www.reefcheck.org. |
|
In 1997, Reef
Check teams completed the first
global survey of coral reefs,
involving over 800 divers in 31
countries. This study provided the
first solid evidence that coral
reefs had been damaged on a global
scale. The shocking results showed
that most high value reef animals
such as lobster, grouper, and
giant clams were simply missing
from reefs due to overfishing. In
1998, the Reef Check network
proved invaluable in tracking an
unprecedented global bleaching
event caused by high seawater
temperatures that killed coral
reefs around the world.
|
Quiksilver Crossing and Reef Check
-- a great partnership! The
ultimate goal of the Reef Check
program is to show communities how
they can monitor and manage their
own reefs. These
"communities" can be
local villagers in Indonesia,
recreational divers from
California or surfers from
Florida. All of these communities
can help to support sustainable
management of coral reefs.
Reef Check Co-ordinator Dr. Gregor
Hodgson said that by sponsoring
Reef Check education and surveys
on the Crossing, Quiksilver is
playing a leading role in raising
awareness among surfers about
coral reefs and helping the
program obtain much-needed data
from remote reefs. |
"The results from these
remote reefs tell us whether there
are any pristine sites left
untouched by long-distance
fishermen. They help us to
establish the 'baseline' against
which to compare more heavily
damaged sites." Dr Hodgson
said.
By September 1999, more than 20
new remote sites have been
surveyed by Reef Check teams,
including pro surfers and
scientists, on The Crossing from
Papua New Guinea to French
Polynesia. Sadly, the results have
confirmed that even the remote
reefs have been affected by
overfishing, hence the great need
for community-based management of
coral reefs. The good news is that
pollution is a relatively minor
problem in most of these areas,
and the reef corals themselves are
generally in good condition except
in areas affected regularly by
sedimentation, and those affected
in 1998 by bleaching.
Reef Check would like to thank
Quiksilver, Indies Trader Capt.
Martin Daly, crew, volunteer
scientists Ricky Grigg, Ed Lovell,
Sue Brown, Scott Nunnery, and
others to come.
Note: Quiksilver is sponsoring
Reef Check scientists on most legs
of the expedition. In addition,
Quiksilver is helping to raise
awareness about coral reefs by
tagging some clothing lines with a
Reef Check logo and making
donations to the program. |
|
|