| 22 October 2007,
ARC
Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies
Consensus Declaration on Coral Reef
Futures
Over 50 scientists of the ARC Centre
of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies today declared the following
statements unanimously:
- We call on all societies and governments to immediately
and substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Without
targeted reductions, the ongoing damage to coral reefs from
global warming will soon be irreversible.
- Ocean acidification due to increased atmospheric CO2 is
accelerating, and will detrimentally effect the growth and
skeletal strength of calcifying species, such as corals.
Reducing CO2 emissions is the only way to prevent further
damage to coral reefs. Loss of coral also impacts on many
other species and reduces reef fisheries.
- Coral reefs are economically, socially and culturally
important, and therefore need to be sustained. For example,
the Great Barrier Reef contributes $6.9 billion annually
to the Australian economy - $6 billion from the tourism
industry, $544 million from recreational activity and $251
million from commercial fishing. This economic activity
generates more than 65 000 jobs.
- Climate change, overfishing and pollution continue to
cause massive and accelerating declines in abundance of
coral reef species and global changes in reef ecosystems.
Even remote and well-managed reefs are under threat from
climate change.
- Coral bleaching has greatly increased in frequency and
magnitude over the past 30 years due to global warming.
For coral reefs, climate change is not some potential future
threat – it has already caused enormous damage that
will increase in coming years. Bleaching due to climate
change has already caused widespread damage to the Great
Barrier Reef in 1998 and 2002.
- The world has a narrow window of opportunity to save coral
reefs from the destruction of extreme climate change. Substantial
global reductions of greenhouse gasses must be initiated
immediately, not in 10, 20 or 50 years.
- No-fishing reserves (green zones) are an important management
tool for preserving targeted stocks of coral reefs, and
the ecological functions they provide. To be effective,
25-35% of marine habitats should be no-take (no fishing)
for long-term protection. In Australia, many coral reefs
have yet to achieve this level of protection (especially
in the Northern Territory, Western Australia, south-east
Queensland, and the Coral Sea).
- Coral reef megafauna (e.g. dugongs, turtles and sharks)
continue to decline rapidly, and are ecologically extinct
on most of the world’s reefs. In Australia, current
management practices are failing to maintain populations
of megafauna, which are already severely depleted. Commercial
harvesting and marketing of these species should be banned
to allow the recovery of depleted stocks.
- Local action can help to re-build the resilience of reefs,
and promote their recovery. It is critically important to
prevent the replacement of corals by algal blooms, by reducing
runoff from land and by protecting stocks of herbivorous
fishes. However, reefs cannot be “climate-proofed”
except via reduced emissions of greenhouse gasses.
Key Contacts :
Professor David Bellwood (Fish Ecologist),
James Cook University, AUSTRALIA. Ph: +61 (0) 7 4781 4447.
Email: David.Bellwood@jcu.edu.au
A/Professor Sean R. Connolly (Ecological Modeller & Marine
Ecologist), James Cook University, AUSTRALIA. Ph: +61 (0)
7 4781 4242. Email: sean.connolly@jcu.edu.au
Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg (Coral Physiologist/Ecologist),
University of Queensland, AUSTRALIA. Ph: +61 (0)7 4978 1399,
+61 (0) 7 3365 1156. Email: oveh@uq.edu.au
Prof Terry Hughes (Coral Ecologist), James Cook University,
AUSTRALIA. Ph: +61 (0) 7 4781 4000. Email: terry.hughes@jcu.edu.au
Dr Morgan Pratchett, (Fish biologist) CoECRS & JCU, 07
4781 5747 mob 0410471801 Email: Morgan.Pratchett@jcu.edu.au
Dr John Pandolfi (Coral Reef Paleontologist), University of
Queensland. Ph: +61 (0)7 3365 3050 mob 0400 982 301. Email:
j.pandolfi@uq.edu.au
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