Coral reefs in the Gulf are mostly dead now, but can we do anything about it?
This article discusses two key issues: firstly, the demise of reefs in the Gulf which is happening probably more rapidly than elsewhere; and secondly, the reasons why this remains such an intractable problem. Most reasons for this decline are scientifically well understood, though clearly not by the region's managers. Several factors may cause people to ignore the problem, even though habitat loss is vastly costly to the region. About 70% of the Gulf's reefs have essentially disappeared in a few decades, and although scientific indicators confirm that this is happening, it is commonly discounted as even being a possibility. Management of human interactions with the Gulf's marine systems remains very inadequate, to the detriment of the Gulf's marine systems and its people. It is clear that this not a scientific issue any longer but rather it is a political problem and failure.
Department of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, CV4 7AL, UK. Electronic address: charles.sheppard@warwick.ac.uk.
Charles
C
Sheppard
D000818:Animals; D037421:Anthozoa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D001445:Bahrain; D057231:Climate Change; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000379:methods; D057894:Coral Reefs; D017753:Ecosystem; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry; D033161:Government Regulation; D006801:Humans; D019156:Indian Ocean; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity
D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
Coral reefs; Ecosystem management; Gulf