GBR - UNESCO World Heritage Ruling

[GordMay]

Prior to the postponement of the 14th International Coral Reef Symposium (ICRS 2020 - ICRS 2021 VIRTUAL), to be held in Bremen, Germany, arrangements had been made with the journal OCEANS to produce a conference Special Issue, to which conference delegates could submit papers based on their presentations.

"The Future of Coral Reefs: Research Submitted to ICRS 2020"
A collection of [9] Published Papers ➥ https://www.mdpi.com/journal/oceans/...eefs#published

[pesarsten]

Let me just ask because I must be misinformed, China is chairing the UNESCO committee? The most environmentally bankrupt nation in the world is chairing the committee? The nation that feels the best use for coral reefs is as a foundation for new military bases?

I think I’m going to pack up my toys and go home to bed.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by pesarsten

Let me just ask because I must be misinformed [underinformed], China is chairing the UNESCO committee? ...

The 44Th session, of UNESCO’s ‘World Heritage Committee’ was presided over by His Excellency Mr Tian Xuejun, Vice Minister of Education and Chairperson of the National Commission of the People's Republic of China for UNESCO.
1. The document that spurred the consideration to vote, was not Chinese inspired.
2. The Chinese agreed with the decision to defer the vote.
3. Representatives of 16 of the 21 committee nations, apart from Australia, spoke in favor of the amendments, before the committee accepted the position [to defer voting], without a vote.
4. Only Norway argued for the reef to be listed “in danger.”

States Members of the Committee
Australia / Australie
Bahrain / Bahreïn
Bosnia and Herzegovina / Bosnie-Herzégovine .
Brazil / Brésil
China / Chine
Egypt / Égypte
Ethiopia / Éthiopie
Guatemala
Hungary / Hongrie
Kyrgyzstan / Kirghizistan
Mali
Nigeria / Nigéria
Norway / Norvège
Oman .
Russian Federation / Fédération de Russie .Saint Kitts and Nevis / Saint-Kitts-et-Nevis
Saudi Arabia / Arabie saoudite
South Africa / Afrique du Sud
Spain / Espagne
Thailand / Thaïlande
Uganda / Ouganda

States Members of the Committee
➥ https://whc.unesco.org/archive/2021/...44com-inf2.pdf

But, you'd already have known these things, if you'd read previous contributions, to this thread.

[GordMay]

Great Barrier Reef:
New mass coral bleaching confirmed in Australia

The Great Barrier Reef, thought to have been in recovery, after three mass coral bleaching events in quick succession, has been devastated for a fourth time in six years [1998, 2002, 2016, 2017 & 2020].
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) confirmed the event, following aerial surveys that showed widespread bleaching, across a representative sample of 750 reefs, despite the cooling effect of the La Niña weather system.

"Coral bleaching has been observed at multiple reefs in all four management areas (the Far Northern, Cairns-Cooktown, Townsville-Whitsunday and Mackay-Capricorn), confirming a mass bleaching event" said the authority in a statement.

Sea surface temperature levels have been recorded as part of the research, and the results vary from 0.5−2°C above normal for some areas, but go up to 4°C above normal in others.

“It is important to note that bleached coral is stressed but still alive,” said the GBRMPA in a statement.
“If conditions moderate, bleached corals can recover from this stress, as was the case in 2020.”

Scientists have urged the United Nations cultural organization UNESCO to declare the reef ‘in danger’ to raise awareness that it is “nearing its tipping point, beyond which the reef will lose its function as a viable ecosystem”.

“Reef Health update – 25 March 2022" ~ by GBRMPA
➥ https://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/the-reef/reef-health

Video [6:02] ➥

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY7ihkat9ek

Unesco to visit Great Barrier Reef as coral bleaching risk rises
Unesco has confirmed two scientists [one expert from Unesco, and another from the IUCN] will carry out the mission, lasting for 10 days, from 21 March. The Morrison government requested the Unesco mission, last year, after it successfully lobbied against UN scientific advice, that the reef should be placed on a list of world heritage sites in danger. A report from the mission is expected to be completed by early May, ahead of a scheduled meeting of the 21-country world heritage committee, in June.
➥ https://www.theguardian.com/environm...ing-risk-rises


More reporting about:

Great Barrier Reef in fourth mass bleaching event since 2016
World’s largest coral reef system under heat stress despite the La Nina weather phenomenon associated with cooler temperatures.
➥ https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/...ent-since-2016

Great Barrier Reef authority confirms unprecedented sixth mass coral bleaching event
➥ https://www.theguardian.com/environm...leaching-event

Adapt, move, or die: repeated coral bleaching leaves wildlife on the Great Barrier Reef with few options
➥ https://theconversation.com/adapt-mo...options-179570

[Hasbeen]

I am 82 years old, so have had time to read a great deal of garbage in my life, but some of the utter rubbish expressed in this thread exceeds any tripe I have ever seen before.


Brought up after the war in Townsville. Not a great part of the reef, but saw a lot of what was offering. From the early 70s I spent years cruising the reef, & did a little unofficial chartering. From the mid 70s I cruised the Pacific islands, building low tech, low cost jetties, for plantations & villages on atolls & small volcanic islands along the way to pay my way. From the early 80s I spent almost 10 years running tourist marine operations on the reef.


I know a bit about coral, & about coral in varied locations & environments. Anyone thinking they will go to the effort of seeking out pristine environments to see the coral, think again. The coral in much of the Great Barrier Reef leaves most atoll coral for dead. The coral in an isolated atoll, or fringing a high islands a hundred miles or more from the nearest anything is often less inviting than that fringing some tourist islands, not far off the Oz coast.


I was up looking at some of my old stamping grounds just before Christmas last year. The coral is as good as I have ever seen it in most locations you would bother going to. Even some inshore reefs are looking pretty good.



I would expect some damage now. The greatest enemy of coral is fresh water. Hot conditions have little effect compared to the damage fresh water does. With the extreme rainfall this year, some areas will be degraded as they have always been by a cyclone, or very wet season, but as usual they will recover.


I get so sick of people who would not know a bit of coral if they scratched their toe on it, pontificating on the reef. On one occasion I took 140 people from the Marine Park Authority, & AIMS out to our facility at Hardy Reef. From the conversations overheard I doubt many of them had ever been to the outer reef before, & some of them are the ones talking garbage seeking grants. Grrrr.