Earth Island Institute has spent the past 20 years protecting our environment. Check out their project area for a program near you and to find out about worldwide environmental alerts such as: Protect Australia's Great Barrier Reef from prawn farming. Australia has become a prime target of the intensive international prawn farm industry. With virtually no laws at the state and federal level capable of protecting the marine environment from the devastating effects of this enterprise, foreign companies are taking full advantage, particularly in Queensland. When the Armstrong Beach community woke up to the fact their surrounding mangroves, wetlands and pristine coastal forest were being bulldozed and destroyed so that a Taiwanese intensive prawn farm operation could set up, there was great angst. Regulations have been enacted that will force all future prawn farms impacting on the Great Barrier Reef to have a proper Environmental Impact Statement. (All existing operations are excluded.)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Divers have reattached pieces of living elkhorn coral to a barrier reef scarred when a freighter ran aground off Puerto Rico's Isla Mona. Using stainless steel wires, the divers anchored some 1,500 pieces of the damaged coral to the reef. The owner of the Thai freighter agreed to pay more than one million dollars for the restoration work.
The Coral Reef Alliance CORAL sponsors a dive festival in Bonaire each year in an ongoing effort to raise worldwide awareness of coral reefs and related ecosystems. Daily dives and activities are led by diving, environmental and conservation organizations such as the Bonaire Marine Park, CORAL, and REEF. Evening events include parties and a presentation by noted marine biologists. See BONAIRE on the web. This nonprofit marine conservation organization promotes public education, conducts reef surveys and workshops.
Earthwatch has several water Eco-trips each year where volunteers can participate in an ongoing project to study marine environments and various species. The world's coral reefs are in crisis. Two of the biggest problems are coral bleaching and coral diseases. Bleaching occurs when the symbiotic algae living within the colonial animals are tossed out during environmental stress, leaving the coral colorless and without nutrition. Coral diseases are up more than 200 percent in five years, and new diseases appear faster than they can be described. You can help marine biologists search for clues to the cause of these coral afflictions.
Reef Guardian documents basic reef coral cover and watchdogs specific significant coral reef sites for changes in coral health, cover, and other key early warning signs of environmental impact. The gathered data is analyzed and published as reports and other public awareness tools for use by local groups in their conservation efforts. Reef Guardian provides a local nonprofit group with training, monitoring equipment, materials, and supplies that are replenished as each monitoring cycle is completed. The local group provides on-site coordination, volunteer manpower and a donated boat to carry out quarterly coral reef surveys. Reef Guardian is always looking for individuals with a concern for coral reefs that are interested in donating their time and resources to assist in these efforts. Reef Guardian will continue to support their existing coral reef monitoring partners and enter into similar agreements with more local groups in Florida, Honduras, US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Costa Rica, the Netherlands Antilles, and other locations to monitor key coral reef sites which are clearly in the path of foreseeable developmental impact.
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