Dear Mike and friends,
Yes, pollution of all kinds is possibly the biggest threat for marine
ecosystems as a whole. But we can do some things.
Here in Europe there is a big project called Coastwatch, which has a
continental scale but is done by local groups - schools, elders, scouts,
even convicts... It is entirely voluntary, yet it provides a citizen's
first-witness account of what is going on along the coastline. Not
surprisingly, some governments don't like it very much; but in many areas,
yearly surveys by motivated individuals are a heavy pressure on
politicians. Is there anything like this in the US?
There is another interesting thing, called MARBENA, which is a European
organizer of internet conferences (some are ongoing, worth looking at). A
couple years ago they had a meeting here in Mallorca, and I had the
opportunity toi speak with its coordinator. He was striving to find good
bio-indicators for coastal ecosystems throughout the continent. I
suggested looking at the abundance and sizes of cockles -the abundant,
moderately diverse Cardiidae.
So, we malacologists could do a lot for marine life, if we got organized
into performing yearly surveys of common species. Any ideas?
Best wishes,
Cristian
-----Mensaje original-----
De: mike gray [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
Enviado el: miércoles 17 de noviembre de2004 19:53
Para: [log in to unmask]
Asunto: Re: Endangered list from IUCN
Cristian Ruiz Altaba wrote:
> For most marine species, it would be more than enough to
>enforce existing trade and fisheries legislation.
>
And pollution laws.
Here in Florida, we have regulations up the wazoo but not a single
prosecutor to enforce them. The major damage to the marine environment
is from municipal discharge of nitrogen-rich effluent directly onto the
reefs, not from fisheries or industry.
What money there is goes to yet still more additional redundant study
groups, not enforcement.
Discouraging.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
[log in to unmask] - a forum for informal discussions on molluscs
To leave this list, click on the following web link:
http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=conch-l&A=1
Type your email address and name in the appropriate box and
click leave the list.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
[log in to unmask] - a forum for informal discussions on molluscs
To leave this list, click on the following web link:
http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=conch-l&A=1
Type your email address and name in the appropriate box and
click leave the list.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
