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April 2012 E-Current
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E-Current
April 2011 |
In this Issue: Earth Hour • Sharks for the Future Contest Winners • Reef Sharks Thrive in MPAs • Tour CORAL's Project Sites |
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Feature Location: Hawaii
Ka'anapali Makai Watch
Earth Day is our annual reminder to protect the natural environments we love. But every day, CORAL works with communities around the world to empower them to preserve their coral reef ecosystems. Over the past two years, we have partnered with Hawaii's Division of Aquatic Resources and other stakeholders to create opportunities for everyone to take part in ocean education and monitoring along Maui's Ka'anapali coastline. Ka'anapali Makai Watch volunteers use the State of Hawaii's observation and compliance protocols to become citizen scientists and assist resource managers. Anyone, local or not, can participate by working on one of many activities—from logging parrotfish behavior to quizzing tourists on herbivore identification. The program equips us all with a better understanding of our own impacts on coral reef ecosystems, and supplies us with the knowledge and tools to safeguard these spectacular places.
If you'll be in Maui this April, join CORAL at the Ka'anapali Makai Watch Earth Day celebration at Kahekili Beach Park on Sunday, April 15th.
Learn more about our projects in Hawaii »
Follow the Ka'anapali
Makai Watch »
Help the Reefs Quick Tip
Help CORAL and our MARTI partners protect the Mesoamerican reef system. Don't buy or consume lobster caught there until July 1st, 2012.
Learn more »
Coral Reefs in the News
Coral Links Ice Sheet Collapse to Ancient 'Mega Flood'
Source: ScienceDaily
Shark Fin Ban Gathers Steam in Maryland and Beyond
Source: The Washington Post
Ka Mo'olelo Moana: Sandmaking Parrotfish Have Interesting Lives
Source: The Maui News
Corals 'Could Survive a More Acidic Ocean'
Source: ScienceDaily
Common Herbicide 'Threatens' Australia's Great Barrier Reef
Source: Australia Network News
More News...
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Make an Earth Day Pledge »
Let your dollars, as well as your actions, protect our planet this Earth Day. Make a gift to the Coral Reef Alliance, and invest in conservation initiatives that will benefit coral reefs—and the communities who depend on them—far into the future. |
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Earth Hour
On March 31st, CORAL's Mexico team joined hundreds of millions of people in more than 150 countries worldwide by taking a stand against climate change—one of the leading threats to coral reefs. CORAL recruited regional partners to participate in Cancun's main public event, in the heart of the hotel zone, and documented the celebration to share with event organizers. Earth Hour, which began in 2007, goes beyond the simple act of turning off the lights for 60 minutes; it demonstrates the power of global collaboration and reminds us that every day actions impact the world around us in ways that can't always be seen.
Learn more » |
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Art and Writing Contest Winners Announced!
Congratulations to the fifteen student artists and authors who made the most compelling case for shark conservation in CORAL's Sharks for the Future writing and drawing competition! Elementary and high school students from throughout Raja Ampat, Indonesia, advocated for protecting these magnificent—yet often misunderstood—animals in illustrations and short essays. CORAL and our partners recognized all participants with gifts, including books (a rarity in the region), and designated the winners community spokespeople for shark conservation. Check out our blog on the Save Our Seas Foundation website for student quotes and a glimpse of the artwork.
Read the blog » |
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Reef Sharks Thrive in MPAs
In a recent study, scientists at the Institute for Ocean Conservation Science at Stony Brook University determined that marine protected areas (MPAs) are a critical tool for protecting Caribbean reef sharks. The team employed 200 baited video cameras (a.k.a. chum cams) and 34 acoustic transmitters to measure shark abundance on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, and found that sharks were dramatically more prevalent in the no-take marine reserves than in the fished areas.
Read the abstract » |
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Tour CORAL's Project Sites
Explore CORAL's project sites by traveling around the globe with the World Resources Institute's (WRI) new Reefs at Risk tour. In partnership with Google Earth and more than 25 research, conservation, and educational organizations, WRI has compiled eye-opening photographs, underwater footage, and Google's satellite imagery to elucidate the threats to the world's coral reefs and encourage conservation action. Check out the Caribbean, Pacific, and Southeast Asia videos to see why CORAL has prioritized these regions for protection.
Take the tour » |
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* Photo Credits and Notes:
Banner Photo: Pygmy Seahorse (Hippocampus bargibanti), Raja Ampat
Photographer: Jeff Yonover
Large Center Photo: Google Earth Tour of Reefs at Risk snapshot
Source: ©2012 MapLink/Tele Atlas, ©2012 Google, courtesy of the World Resources Institute
Thumbnails: 1) Adriana Gonzalez, 2) Veronica Niken, 3) Douglas Richardson, 4) ©2012 MapLink/Tele Atlas, ©2012 Google, courtesy of the World Resources Institute
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