Corals make their skeletons out of calcium and carbonate ions from seawater, constructing massive colonies as large as cars and small houses. As the ocean absorbs excess carbon dioxide from fossil-fuel burning, it spurs chemical reactions that lower the pH of seawater, a process known as ocean acidification. The process removes carbonate ions, making them less available for corals to build skeletons.
Showing posts with label bridges to reefs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bridges to reefs. Show all posts
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Can Underwater Parks Protect Coral? - Video
With global threats like ocean warming and acidification, it's a tough
time to be a coral. Marine scientists John Bruno and Elizabeth Selig, of
the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, analyzed over 8,000
coral surveys from all over the world to see if local management through
Marine Protected Areas had any positive effect on coral.
Corals make their skeletons out of calcium and carbonate ions from seawater, constructing massive colonies as large as cars and small houses. As the ocean absorbs excess carbon dioxide from fossil-fuel burning, it spurs chemical reactions that lower the pH of seawater, a process known as ocean acidification. The process removes carbonate ions, making them less available for corals to build skeletons.
Corals make their skeletons out of calcium and carbonate ions from seawater, constructing massive colonies as large as cars and small houses. As the ocean absorbs excess carbon dioxide from fossil-fuel burning, it spurs chemical reactions that lower the pH of seawater, a process known as ocean acidification. The process removes carbonate ions, making them less available for corals to build skeletons.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Resort developers should pay attention to these two words - Coral Bleaching
It's happening, and it's worldwide. The next 10 years will see a continued near shore degradation of reefs that once supported a wide variety of marine life...and tourism dollars.
Resorts and new developers can either start building now for this inevitable tide of bad news with the addition of marine friendly artificial reefs or be caught short later when water based tourists leave to explore sites that still contain viable wildlife:
Three-quarters of the world's reefs are at risk according to a report.
By 2050 virtually all of the world's coral reefs – from the waters of the Indian Ocean to the Caribbean to Australia – will be in danger, the report warns. The consequences – especially for countries such as the Philippines or Haiti which depend on the reefs will be severe.
"These are dire results," said Lauretta Burke, a lead author of Reefs at Risk, a collaborative effort led by the World Resources Institute in Washington and 25 other research organisations.
The reefs of south-east Asia are in the most acute peril – with 95% on the danger list; 75% of the reefs in the Caribbean are also threatened, including all those in Florida, Haiti and Jamaica. But even Australia, where reefs are protected, will be in the danger zone by the middle of the century if climate change is left unchecked.
Jane Lubchenco, who heads the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, described the scenario as a "perfect storm" of global and local threats. "Make no mistake. This is a critical time for ocean eco-systems in general but especially for coral reefs," she said.
Burke and other experts at the release of the report in Washington said the assault could be reversible. "Coral reefs are resilient and do rebound from these pressures when local threats are kept low," Burke said.
But Lubchenco warned: "It will take a Herculean effort to reverse the current trajectory and leave a healthy ecosystem to our children and grandchildren."
Article here.
By 2050 virtually all of the world's coral reefs – from the waters of the Indian Ocean to the Caribbean to Australia – will be in danger, the report warns. The consequences – especially for countries such as the Philippines or Haiti which depend on the reefs will be severe.
"These are dire results," said Lauretta Burke, a lead author of Reefs at Risk, a collaborative effort led by the World Resources Institute in Washington and 25 other research organisations.
The reefs of south-east Asia are in the most acute peril – with 95% on the danger list; 75% of the reefs in the Caribbean are also threatened, including all those in Florida, Haiti and Jamaica. But even Australia, where reefs are protected, will be in the danger zone by the middle of the century if climate change is left unchecked.
Jane Lubchenco, who heads the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, described the scenario as a "perfect storm" of global and local threats. "Make no mistake. This is a critical time for ocean eco-systems in general but especially for coral reefs," she said.
Burke and other experts at the release of the report in Washington said the assault could be reversible. "Coral reefs are resilient and do rebound from these pressures when local threats are kept low," Burke said.
But Lubchenco warned: "It will take a Herculean effort to reverse the current trajectory and leave a healthy ecosystem to our children and grandchildren."
Article here.
Monday, February 25, 2013
The Euro-Mediterranean conference on artificial reefs
Even if artificial reefs (ARs) are not present in every Marine Protected Area (MPA), the questions they raise coincide to a large degree with MPA managers’ areas of concern. Therefore, MedPAN was very interested in taking part in this meeting. We would like to present to you here a short summary; focusing on some points that are directly linked to MPAs, pending the findings and proceedings of this conference.
This conference was an opportunity for MedPAN to make a preliminary survey on artificial reefs in Mediterranean MPAs. This inventory was presented by Marianne Lang and is based on data collected via a questionnaire whose main objective was to identify artificial reefs submerged in MPAs or on their boundaries.
This study’s results are based on responses from 36 managers of marine and coastal protected areas in the Mediterranean. The trends found in the survey need to be to be confirmed over a broader range.
The topics discussed were:
- Reefs and coastal zone management;
- Tourist reefs and wrecks;
- Promotion of artificial reefs;
- Management of reef sites.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Artificial Reefs Tourism Trend Setters – Attractions That Create Vacation Memories and Revenue
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| Reef Worlds design elements series 200 |
“There’s an estimated 500,000 square miles of accessible ocean front sitting right off main stream hotel chains and fractional ownership resorts that no one has built any engagement with. The resorts who own these spaces still consider the high tide mark their responsibility. The end result are waterfront spaces that no one wants to snorkel on, or dive on, worse yet spaces that wildlife, (the reason people engage with the water), are leaving because of environmental neglect.”
Dave Taylors design and build team are avid water users and have traveled extensively around the world to discover the state of resort waterfronts in 2012 and their report was not pretty. “We found old tires, garbage, sand bottoms, broken coral, and wildlife that was barely hanging on. In short not a place you would want to grab a snorkel kit and go explore and these were 5 Star developments and time share properties .”
Reef Worlds solution is simple. Take the concept of an artificial reef, typically rock tailings, rip rap, and or concrete shapes that had no tourism value and fundamentally redesign the concept to create entire worlds underwater for tourism and wildlife. Reef Worlds harnesses 5000 years of human design elements with a touch of Hollywood magic to deliver underwater experiential sites that capture and hold mass tourism within a resort developments own footprint while creating a haven for regional wildlife.
They are also designed as revenue generators from the day they are placed with on site.
Tourism Revenue 101
“Snorkel rentals have some compelling numbers behind them. A typical snorkel set rents for $20-30USD a day, and at just 100 sets a day you’re looking at close to a million dollars in revenue generation for the resort. Add to that habitat creation with the increase of bio mass and colorful fish to your waterfront. But the Holy Grail of Reef Worlds are the newly branded vacation memories for your clients and their entire family in a way that is practically maintenance free. Try getting all that from a land based water park.”
Reef Worlds is in design and build stage with several 20 acre waterfront sites with site openings in tandem with new developments at the end of 2014 and 2015.
“We’re breaking every tourism paradigm there is right now with Reef Worlds. Tourism is coming back in a big way and today’s client is not the same one we saw in 2007, they are networked, social media savvy, and want experiential adventures they can share easily with friends. They also want a return to wildlife engagement and that’s something we’re helping with one unique and iconic underwater site at a time.”
If You Build It
Habitat creation is important for regional wildlife. Many resorts worldwide are suffering from extensive habitat loss underwater. Reef Worlds builds the kind of large structures that attract soft coral growth, herbivorous fish, and schooling fish species. Reef Worlds design teams also employ marine biologists and fish ecologists to design underwater worlds that also act as instant habitat creation.
“The next decade will be all about who has the ability to create an emotional connection with their client base. After all, one beach is the same as the next beach and you can only add so many swimming pools and land based attractions before you start running out of space. Our message is simple, start building underwater and discover how easy it is re-engage your clients and get them to use social media to spread the word about your resorts.”
About Reef Worlds
At the intersection of art, science, and the environment is Reef Worlds. When a unique team of film and television designers, dive site developers, and marine biologists got together they dreamt of a better way to experience the undersea realm.
The result was Reef Worlds.
For more information about Reef Worlds:
Visit their website www.reefworlds.com
Call 323.863.5085
Send an email to developer@reefworlds.com
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Chunk of old Matlacha bridge to be artificial reef
MATLACHA, FL - After some delay, work crews finally began disassembling the
old Matlacha bridge Monday, but not all of the pieces are headed to a landfill.
Crews want to get the entire bridge down by the end of January 2013.
People nearby say the loud work -- which starts in the early morning and lasts until sundown -- has become easy to tune out.
"When the project first started, they were driving pilings in. That was actually shaking the ground. This is a welcomed change from the piling driving," said Ahren Surgent, Gulfside Marine Services.
"I'm anxious for them to get the old one torn out to see what it's going to look like. It's going to be different again," said Matlacha resident Beverly Dubbins.
Not all of the concrete will end up in a landfill; efforts were successful in raising tens of thousands of dollars to turn a chunk of the bridge into an artificial reef.
Crews want to get the entire bridge down by the end of January 2013.
People nearby say the loud work -- which starts in the early morning and lasts until sundown -- has become easy to tune out.
"When the project first started, they were driving pilings in. That was actually shaking the ground. This is a welcomed change from the piling driving," said Ahren Surgent, Gulfside Marine Services.
"I'm anxious for them to get the old one torn out to see what it's going to look like. It's going to be different again," said Matlacha resident Beverly Dubbins.
Not all of the concrete will end up in a landfill; efforts were successful in raising tens of thousands of dollars to turn a chunk of the bridge into an artificial reef.
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