How are we giving back to the ocean?

[Bato367]

If you haven’t seen Chasing Coral, watch it! I highly recommend.

Just watched the trailer, looks awesome! Don’t have Netflix but I’ll look for it on other platforms.

 

[tehmadreefer]

Check this out, thanks @Frigus Reef for sharing it

 

[Thaxxx]

Well we’re actually hurting the ocean by taking it’s animals and killing them.

Just look at how many ppl post deaths on this little forum on a weekly basis and add up how many fish and coral deaths there are. That is only the tip of the iceberg of ppl that actually admit to the deaths and are in this forum. Now imagine everybody else worldwide and the amount of livestock loss by humans in the reef hobby is astonishing.

I for one would embrace a full ban on the hobby actually. My thoughts

He's right.
Not for banning the hobby, but maybe ban any further ocean collecting.
Anything less is just lip service.

 

[zalick]

If any of you want to donate to reef conservation groups, this legitimately might be the best there group there is.

And if you are a scuba diver, and can afford it, you should absolutely go to their eco resort. arguably the best diving in the world. The profits from the resort fund the 300,000 acre no take zone.

misool marine reserve — Misool Foundation

Misool Marine Reserve: a 300,000-acre marine conservation area patrolled by the Misool Ranger Patrol

www.misoolfoundation.org

 

[zalick]

Well we’re actually hurting the ocean by taking it’s animals and killing them.

Just look at how many ppl post deaths on this little forum on a weekly basis and add up how many fish and coral deaths there are. That is only the tip of the iceberg of ppl that actually admit to the deaths and are in this forum. Now imagine everybody else worldwide and the amount of livestock loss by humans in the reef hobby is astonishing.

I for one would embrace a full ban on the hobby actually. My thoughts

Yup. And the death rate from collection is horrible..... I believe an 80% survival rate is really good for a collector. So millions of fish are dying before even making it to the store.

 

[Rmckoy]

Check this out, thanks @Frigus Reef for sharing it

Would love to find out what documentary he’s talking about

 

[Brad Montgomery]

I see where you are coming from.

With any animal there are life spans and even health issues coming into the hobby. I do feel corals and fish are less pet like than a dog or a cat AND can live much longer than a dog or cat. I have green striped mushrooms and brown button polyps that I have had since 2000, but unlike cats that I can spay so they don't produce offspring, my mushrooms left unchecked will overtake my tank.

With marine fish there is a lot of loss just in collecting and transporting. I've heard that many fish in the hobby are still caught with cyanide ( many food fish are caught this way for the Asian market). There really aren't a large amount of cultivated fish for sale in the hobby, so you have to find the good collectors that treat their fish properly.

I'd be curious to know how much damage all the cyanide does to the reefs. People blame a lot of issues but no one is looking at all the poison thats dumped on fish in the reef as a possible cause

 

[Brad Montgomery]

Yup. And the death rate from collection is horrible..... I believe an 80% survival rate is really good for a collector. So millions of fish are dying before even making it to the store.

I'd like to see a better process of treating fish and ensuring their survival from the moment they are collected. I'd bet if they were treated for parasites and infections they would ship better as healthy fish. When laws are passed to ban collection I'd rather see laws to better ensure the survival of the collected fish.

 

[Brad Montgomery]

Just watched the trailer, looks awesome! Don’t have Netflix but I’ll look for it on other platforms.

Its definitely worth watching

 

[seitzjh]

Here is a great non profit that is now on R2R. They help save coral.

Introduction to R2R

Hello R2R community, We would love to introduce ourselves to this wonderful community. We are the Reef Institute and our mission is coral conservation through education, research and restoration. We are a small organization on a large mission to save the ocean. A Little About Our Mission...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[seitzjh]

If you haven’t seen Chasing Coral, watch it! I highly recommend.

I highly agree!

 

[zalick]

I'd be curious to know how much damage all the cyanide does to the reefs. People blame a lot of issues but no one is looking at all the poison thats dumped on fish in the reef as a possible cause

Along these lines: non reef-safe sun tan lotion from swimmers and snorkelers vacationing and cruises is actually a HUGE reef killer too.

 

[jackfish520]

A lot of people on this thread are mentioning indirect methods of preservation such as lowering your personal carbon footprint which is great. However, I haven't seen mentioned one of the biggest ways to do so, that being through your diet. Slowly adjusting your eating habits by lowering your meat consumption can help immensely. One of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions is methane gas produced by livestock (mainly cows). Also, the sheer amount of resources (fresh water, cattle feed, transportation equip, etc.) involved in growing a steak is ridiculously unsustainable and harmful.

I grew up eating meat everyday and recently some friends have been trying some plant-based alternatives and vegan options in general. I promise you wont miss meat as much as you think you will once you establish some healthy eating habits. I highly recommend watching Gamechangers on Netflix; definitely an eye-opener when it comes to eating cleaner, benefits and what not. Anyway, I digress. I am grateful that there are likeminded reefers thinking about the seriousness of coral reef degradation and trying to give back where they can.

 

[samnaz]

I give back as much as I can, and take as little as possible. I dream of replanting restoring decimated wild reefs some day (it’s what lead me to reef tanks in the beginning). If I see plastic in the ocean or beach I pick it up, always. Wish I could do it more. Captive bred and aquacultured livestock only in my tank.

Gave up eating fish 10 years ago, wasn’t easy but I just imagine all the salmon I didn’t eat in a whales full belly. Vegan for a few years now... Cause there’s no point in saving coral reefs if we don’t save the ocean from our changing climate, pollution, overfishing, overpopulation, etc. Education is important (not entertainment pretending to educate for profit). I love to watch documentaries and share them with people I know. All about creating awareness.

 

[TruckerTami]

A lot of people on this thread are mentioning indirect methods of preservation such as lowering your personal carbon footprint which is great. However, I haven't seen mentioned one of the biggest ways to do so, that being through your diet. Slowly adjusting your eating habits by lowering your meat consumption can help immensely. One of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions is methane gas produced by livestock (mainly cows). Also, the sheer amount of resources (fresh water, cattle feed, transportation equip, etc.) involved in growing a steak is ridiculously unsustainable and harmful.

I grew up eating meat everyday and recently some friends have been trying some plant-based alternatives and vegan options in general. I promise you wont miss meat as much as you think you will once you establish some healthy eating habits. I highly recommend watching Gamechangers on Netflix; definitely an eye-opener when it comes to eating cleaner, benefits and what not. Anyway, I digress. I am grateful that there are likeminded reefers thinking about the seriousness of coral reef degradation and trying to give back where they can.

I can attest to anyone who loves items containing sugar, you would start to change your mind if you saw the things I saw. My last job, just about 3-4 times a week I was at the sugar refineries here in Florida. You know, the ones that have destroyed the ecosystem around most of the state. I have seen the damage done firsthand by the two large sugar producers, the stench is horrible, but then seeing the canal\spillway from the refinery going right into the canals headed out of Clewiston or South Bay towards the Atlantic and the gulf at the same time is heart wrenching and maddening. I hated going there, and I let them know every single time that I hated being there and seeing them killing everything in their toxic wastes path.