|
Meso-American Coral Reefs The top three causes of coral =
reef
decline identified through a broad consensus before the Pew Oceans Commis=
sion
and the U.S. Commission on Ocean policy are over-fishing of coral reef
resources, reductions in water and substratum quality due to sedimentatio=
n,
runoff and pollution from land-based and marine sources and massive bleac=
hing
events tied to global climate change. To date, a overwhelming major=
ity
of basic research and environmental assessments have focused on climatic
forces that have affected the integrity of coral reefs, while very little=
has
been expended in investigating anthropogenic activities that have more pr=
oximal
influence on regional and local coral reefs. With our successes in examining
anthropogenic impacts of corals reefs in the Florida Keys, the Red Sea, a=
nd
in the Pacific, Haereticus Environmental Laboratory is supporting basic
scientific research and preliminary environmental assessments of
anthropogenic activity on the Meso-American Coral Reef system.
Haereticus is taking a supporting role in the Healthy Reefs for Healthy
People Initiative, by conducting and supporting research on the presence =
on
environmental contaminants on coral reefs, tracing these contaminants bac=
k to
its probable source, and measuring the impact these contaminants have on
coral reefs from different regions in the Meso-American Reef system. |
Dr.
Melanie McField taking coral biopsies for |
![3D"MACRbasemap(2)"=](3D"Meso-AmericanCoralReefs_files/image002.jpg")
![3D"http://haereticus-lab.org/Melanie_Sampling.jpg"](3D"Meso-AmericanCoralReefs_files/image003.jpg")
|
Some=
of
the questions we are presently trying to address include:
|
|
|
First
sampling group in Belize |
Sample
Preparation Training |
![3D"http://haereticus-lab.org/Belize%5b1%5d.Honduran_sampling_group.jp=](3D"Meso-AmericanCoralReefs_files/image005.jpg")
![3D"http://haereticus-lab.org/MS_1.jpg"](3D"Meso-AmericanCoralReefs_files/image007.jpg")
<=
![endif]>|
This work is a collaboration w=
ith
the World Wildlife Fund, the Smithsonian Institute, the University of Haw=
aii,
the University of Central Florida, with support from the Summit Foundatio=
n.
Haereticus is seeking additional partnerships and aid to expand its
operations and research into the entire Central American peninsula. |
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|
Sample dissections<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-farea=
st-font-family:
"Times New Roman"'> |
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|
Fish market in Belize City witb
coral reef fish products |
![3D"http://haereticus-lab.org/Shalini.jpg"](3D"Meso-AmericanCoralReefs_files/image009.jpg")
![3D"http://haereticus-lab.org/Fish_market.jpg"](3D"Meso-AmericanCoralReefs_files/image011.jpg")