Dying coral reefs at 'critical turning point,' lawmakers told

May 05, 2021

Marine experts yesterday advised a House Natural Resources panel to act quickly to improve the health of the nation's coral reefs before they disappear.

"Nowhere is this crisis more striking than in Florida, where reefs have lost 70% to 80% or more of their live coral cover over the last few decades," said Andrew Baker, a professor in the Department of Marine Biology and Ecology at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science.

Testifying before the Water, Oceans and Wildlife Subcommittee, Baker blamed the crisis on the combined effects of climate change, disease, declining water quality and habitat destruction, which he said have brought reefs to an "ecological precipice."

The panel convened to hear testimony on a bipartisan bill, H.R. 160, the "Restoring Resilient Reefs Act of 2021," sponsored by Rep. Darren Soto (D-Fla.) 

"This is a big deal for coastal economies and for people's livelihoods," said Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), the subcommittee's chairman.

Rep. Darren Soto (D-Fla.). Photo credit: House Natural Resources Committee/YouTube

Rep. Darren Soto (D-Fla.) during a hearing yesterday. House Natural Resources Committee/YouTube

Soto's bill would authorize five years of federal aid to states, territories and local communities for the restoration and management of coral reef ecosystems. It would also reauthorize the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000, which expired 15 years ago.

Soto told his colleagues that his bill would allow for more public-private partnerships to aid coral reefs and provide grants and other help "for those who are closest to this crisis."

Baker, a coral reef scientist for 28 years, said lawmakers should take "urgent action" to ensure the long-term survival of the reefs, and he said Soto's bill "is an essential part of that effort" to respond before it's too late.

"Coral reefs in the United States and around the world are at a critical turning point," Baker said.

Along with the effects of climate change, he added, "we are now starting to experience back-to-back annual coral 'bleaching' events, caused by summertime temperatures that are so warm that heat-stressed corals turn white and die."

Robert Richmond, a research professor at the University of Hawaii, Manoa, and director of the university's Kewalo Marine Laboratory, said the coral reefs are in decline "due to multiple human-induced disturbances" and said Congress needs to reverse the trend.

"If we were to simply save what remains today, we will have failed in our stewardship responsibilities to present and future generations of Americans," he said.

Jennifer Koss, director of NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program, told lawmakers that coral reef ecosystems "play an outsized role in the health of our ocean," noting that they occupy less than 1% of the planet's surface area but support an estimated 25% of all marine species.

"Healthy coral reefs provide culturally and economically valuable ecosystem services to the American public, such as food, opportunities for recreation and tourism, coastal protection and resilience, and raw materials used to create bio-pharmaceutical products," she said.

NOAA last month said that it had launched the first major phase of a $100 million project to restore seven coral reefs within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (E&E News PM, April 20).

Agency officials said the project is among the largest ever proposed for coral restoration. It calls for restoring nearly 3 million square feet of coral over a 20-year period.

In January, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), said he had gotten a firsthand look at "the devastated condition" of reefs in the Florida Keys when he decided to introduce a companion bill in the Senate, S. 46.

Rubio said the legislation "will ensure federal agencies are partnering effectively with state and local governments, as well as the communities who rely on the vitality of these critical habitats."


By:  Rob Hotakainen
Source: E&E News