tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8969579871790841484.post4279489903142336458..comments2023-12-28T09:34:15.613-08:00Comments on Pippa's Place - Environmentally Speaking: Coral Reef: The Tropical Rainforest of the OceansPippahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13278616239334970208noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8969579871790841484.post-52470785469530458752008-09-03T04:47:00.000-07:002008-09-03T04:47:00.000-07:00As a diver, scuba and other, and an avid lover of ...As a diver, scuba and other, and an avid lover of water, this is an important issue for me. I-Max has a great movie of the subject. Sad, but important to be informed.<BR/><BR/>The last time I was in Jamaica (Ocho Rios) I was shocked to see all the coral within shore range was dead. Every day when I went swimming and diving, I took a bag down with me and picked up trash from the sea floor. The Natives who swam with me were shocked that a (they perceived as) "rich" tourist would spend vacation time picking up trash. They did not join in. The trash primarily came from the cruise ships that dump their trash overboard. Finally I came up with the 'hook' that got them to participate. I said, "If you want to make money off the water, you have to take care of it." The next day they all had bags down there picking up trash. In addition the the serious effects of dead coral, the lack of beauty and other sea life and the 'yuck' factor from diving in a trash heap, one of the things that happens when the coral dies is that other creatures take over, like the spiky sea annenomes (sp?) that make it impossible to use the waters without injury and pain.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com