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16-01-2020, 06:08
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2019
Location: Germany
Posts: 35
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Coral reefs in the Pacific
How are the coral reefs holding up in the Pacific? Is there a lot of dead coral and bleaching going on? What are some good spots that still have healthy corals?
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28-02-2020, 16:38
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Bellingham
Boat: Outbound 44
Posts: 9,319
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Re: Coral reefs in the Pacific
The Pacific is a really huge area, and the part of it that cruisers typically go to is still a huge area.
The Tuamotus in French Polynesia has some great coral in the atolls. We just travelled through Indonesia and saw a fair number of places with sad reefs. It all depends where you are.
Many places in tbe South Pacific are stressed from over fishing.
It's still a great place to cruise.
__________________
Paul
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28-02-2020, 18:19
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#3
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Noumea, New Caledonia
Boat: Peterson 44
Posts: 26
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Re: Coral reefs in the Pacific
The shallow water coral reefs of the Pacific are having serious problems from coral bleaching, overfishing (especially near villages), crown-of-thorns starfish infestations and from yacht anchors and chains in protected bays.
Of all the Pacific Island countries, New Caledonia has done the most to protect their coral reefs. They have protected 17 marine reserves you can visit with your yacht plus 8 areas where nobody can go at all, not even sail through. Some of the marine reserves even have mooring buoys for yachts so the corals won't be damaged by anchors. They are free to access. The coral reefs in the reserves are some of the few easily accessible shallow water coral reefs in the world that will knock your flippers off with their beauty and vibrant sea life.
To see some fantastic 360 sphere images of these reefs have a look on Google Earth with the images options turned on for 360Cities or Google "newcaledonia lagoon"
__________________
Your sailing friends in New Caledonia
Rocket Cruising Guides to New Caledonia and Vanuatu
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28-02-2020, 18:31
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#4
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Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: aboard, cruising in Australia
Boat: Sayer 46' Solent rig sloop
Posts: 28,400
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Re: Coral reefs in the Pacific
Hello, Poa, welcome aboard CF.
Forgive me, but your question sounded to me like you have a paper to write for a class, or troll the forum.
I think it is a huge subject. Our marine biologist friend thinks the Great Barrier Reef is in dire straits, and it may well be so, in places. Other places, it seems pretty much in balance. The cyclones do a lot of damage, too, not all reef damage is done by mankind, but a lot is.
If your underlying question is something like "What is the Health of our Oceans?", then it's even huger! And the problems may not have politically acceptable answers. When chiefs sell off tribal water rights, and someone buys them and then fishes out a lagoon to use for bait, basically, but the natives' food is gone, how can one fix that? Or, should you figure it's their business and do nothing about fixing it?
Is it right for a well known Green organization to practice piracy under the guise of caring for the oceans?
It is a very hot subject. Good people on both sides of the fences. Hard to resolve conflicts.
Ann
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Who scorns the calm has forgotten the storm.
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30-03-2020, 19:32
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: forest city
Boat: no boat any more
Posts: 2,510
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Re: Coral reefs in the Pacific
__________________
...not all who wander are lost!
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30-03-2020, 22:15
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Boat: Island Packet 40
Posts: 6,415
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Re: Coral reefs in the Pacific
The Great Barrier Reef in the western Pacific off the east coast of Australia is about one thousand nautical miles long and consists of hundreds of individual reefs cays and islands with reef fringes. Stories of it's demise are fake news.
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30-03-2020, 23:02
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#7
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Port Moresby,Papua New Guinea
Boat: FP Belize Maestro 43 and OPBs
Posts: 12,888
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Re: Coral reefs in the Pacific
Quote:
Originally Posted by RaymondR
The Great Barrier Reef in the western Pacific off the east coast of Australia is about one thousand nautical miles long and consists of hundreds of individual reefs cays and islands with reef fringes. Stories of it's demise are fake news.
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Even more than that
The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,300 kilometres (1,400 mi) over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres (133,000 sq mi).
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30-03-2020, 23:02
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 324
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Re: Coral reefs in the Pacific
Quote:
Originally Posted by RaymondR
The Great Barrier Reef in the western Pacific off the east coast of Australia is about one thousand nautical miles long and consists of hundreds of individual reefs cays and islands with reef fringes. Stories of it's demise are fake news.
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It's true, there's a huge difference between dead and dying.
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30-03-2020, 23:11
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#9
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Port Moresby,Papua New Guinea
Boat: FP Belize Maestro 43 and OPBs
Posts: 12,888
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Re: Coral reefs in the Pacific
Quote:
Originally Posted by fivecapes
It's true, there's a huge difference between dead and dying.
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And there's a huge difference between dying and suffering local distress in some areas.
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31-03-2020, 00:05
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 324
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Re: Coral reefs in the Pacific
Quote:
Originally Posted by StuM
And there's a huge difference between dying and suffering local distress in some areas.
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Am I not reading this right, glass half empty?
http://elibrary.gbrmpa.gov.au/jspui/...2019-FINAL.pdf
State of coral reefs
2.5.1 Habitats
Very poor. Widespread habitat loss, degradation or alteration has occurred in a number of areas leading to persistent, substantial effects on many populations of dependent species.
Multiple severe disturbances have caused widespread damage and loss of coral reef habitat in a number of areas. Coral recruitment has declined significantly. Evidence of cascading effects on coral dependent species, such as fish and invertebrates is emerging.
2.5.2 Population
Very poor. Populations of a large number of species have deteriorated significantly.
Unprecedented mass coral bleaching due to global warming, outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish and cyclone impacts have reduced coral diversity and abundance, with widespread loss of key habitat-forming coral species at many locations.
8.6.1 Ecosystem resilience
Very poor. Affected species are failing to recover and affected habitats are failing to recover to their natural structure and function.
Significant losses in coral broodstock has occurred in the northern two thirds of the Region. Coral recruitment has declined by up to 89 per cent. As a result, some species and habitats are failing to recover to their previous state and function within the five year Outlook Report cycle.
10.4 Assessment and outlook
Very poor. Without urgent and effective additional management intervention, the values are likely to deteriorate rapidly with the loss of most values in the longer term.
The Reef has fundamentally changed since 2009. The threats affecting the Region’s ecosystem are increasing, compounding and expanding in scale....
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31-03-2020, 01:55
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: On the boat
Boat: LAGOON 400
Posts: 2,347
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Re: Coral reefs in the Pacific
Quote:
Originally Posted by richardhc
The shallow water coral reefs of the Pacific are having serious problems from coral bleaching, overfishing (especially near villages), crown-of-thorns starfish infestations and from yacht anchors and chains in protected bays.
Of all the Pacific Island countries, New Caledonia has done the most to protect their coral reefs. They have protected 17 marine reserves you can visit with your yacht plus 8 areas where nobody can go at all, not even sail through. Some of the marine reserves even have mooring buoys for yachts so the corals won't be damaged by anchors. They are free to access. The coral reefs in the reserves are some of the few easily accessible shallow water coral reefs in the world that will knock your flippers off with their beauty and vibrant sea life.
To see some fantastic 360 sphere images of these reefs have a look on Google Earth with the images options turned on for 360Cities or Google "newcaledonia lagoon"
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yeah NC reefs are best i have seen anywhere - 2 years ago. They reminded me of my first visit to reef on Heron island back in 1990 when reefs there were still truly spectacular. How fast can reef deteriorate
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31-03-2020, 01:57
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Boat: Island Packet 40
Posts: 6,415
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Re: Coral reefs in the Pacific
10.4 Assessment and outlook
Very poor. Without urgent and effective additional management intervention, the values are likely to deteriorate rapidly with the loss of most values in the longer term.
Yep, no doubt in my mind, bureaucrats seeking bigger budgets from the taxpayer. "additional management intervention" bells the cat.
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31-03-2020, 02:10
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: On the boat
Boat: LAGOON 400
Posts: 2,347
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Re: Coral reefs in the Pacific
Quote:
Originally Posted by RaymondR
10.4 Assessment and outlook
Very poor. Without urgent and effective additional management intervention, the values are likely to deteriorate rapidly with the loss of most values in the longer term.
Yep, no doubt in my mind, bureaucrats seeking bigger budgets from the taxpayer. "additional management intervention" bells the cat.
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dont be so cynical. bureaucrats will ask government to print money and give to them. they will then throw almost all of the money onto the reef and average sea water temp will cool for 5 degrees. That is what it takes to have great reefs. Easy peasy
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31-03-2020, 06:06
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#14
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Port Moresby,Papua New Guinea
Boat: FP Belize Maestro 43 and OPBs
Posts: 12,888
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Re: Coral reefs in the Pacific
Quote:
Originally Posted by RaymondR
10.4 Assessment and outlook
Very poor. Without urgent and effective additional management intervention, the values are likely to deteriorate rapidly with the loss of most values in the longer term.
Yep, no doubt in my mind, bureaucrats seeking bigger budgets from the taxpayer. "additional management intervention" bells the cat.
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Over 350 occurrences of the phrase "climate change" .
"Formally peer reviewed" by the usual suspects. Hughes, Marsh and Hussey? Check out all the quoted references contain those names. It's the usual network of alarmists
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31-03-2020, 11:54
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Sea of Cortez/northern Utah/ Wisconsin/ La Paz, BCS
Boat: Hans Christian 38 Mk II
Posts: 948
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Re: Coral reefs in the Pacific
I snorkeled into my first crown-of/thorns infestations in the southern portion of the Sea of Cortez last year. The coral in the SOC is not spectacular because it is a bit too cold, but the local devastation was incredible.
I had the opportunity to snorkel in the lagoon of an uninhabited atoll far out in the Bay of Campeche in 1981 while working on new oil facilities. The reef was spectacular. I suspect the intervening 40 years were not kind to that atoll.
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