Sad. Looked more like an IndoPacific reef, mostly stony corals. The water was blue/crystal clear; note how clear it is at 3:13. Nowadays it has a green hue unless you go miles out. Nutrients/fertilizers in the water, and sewage(introducing pathogens and fueling algae). Warming oceans had little to do with this in 1985. Impossible to have pristine reefs with 7 million people living in South FL.
This breaks my heart because you guys were from my father’s generation, and he, along side you watched the outer reef and elk horn collapse. He didn’t know any better. This past summer of 2023, and the 5 years before, I’ve watched pretty much every remaining healthy mountain and boulder star coral reef die off in Biscayne National Park. Anniversary reef was supposed to be a baseline reef. I have a video about it. I visited it on 11/23 and it was a skeleton covered with algae. The hot El Niño waters are the bullet in the gun, but the poison of excess nutrient weakened the reef to near death years ago. Let this video stand as evidence.
Very powerful Phil, and very painful to watch. Carysfort was my favorite stop and personal playground as a kid when my grandfather and I would sail to the Bahamas each summer in the late 70's early 80's. Like you, I've dedicated my life to the study of coral reefs, and sadly I'm convinced their extinction is imminent and unchangeable. Thank you for putting this video together.
Thank you Phil for sharing your life's work to diligently and lovingly monitor the Carysfort Reef, as well as film its demise over so many decades. What a sad story that is unfortunately happening everywhere.
Excellent Story, thank you. Perhaps unintentionally following the ABT formula (described by Randy Olson, who now promotes the true storytelling way since stories ever were told, which = "And and and", But, Therefore...) here is Phil Dustan's true story: AND the reefs were lovely BUT not anymore, THEREFORE....Now what? let us care, alert others, change our behaviors....Thanks Phil!
Thanks, Phil. I guess. Thanks for being one of the few who get the importance of bioerosion-which is driven by nutrients. Note that the decline (as you well know) started long before the ocean started to warm. The demise of Carysfort Reef has SFA to to with climate change.
Sad. Looked more like an IndoPacific reef, mostly stony corals. The water was blue/crystal clear; note how clear it is at 3:13. Nowadays it has a green hue unless you go miles out. Nutrients/fertilizers in the water, and sewage(introducing pathogens and fueling algae). Warming oceans had little to do with this in 1985. Impossible to have pristine reefs with 7 million people living in South FL.
I keep thinking the same thing. I do believe it is primarily from agricultural discharge.
This breaks my heart because you guys were from my father’s generation, and he, along side you watched the outer reef and elk horn collapse. He didn’t know any better. This past summer of 2023, and the 5 years before, I’ve watched pretty much every remaining healthy mountain and boulder star coral reef die off in Biscayne National Park. Anniversary reef was supposed to be a baseline reef. I have a video about it. I visited it on 11/23 and it was a skeleton covered with algae. The hot El Niño waters are the bullet in the gun, but the poison of excess nutrient weakened the reef to near death years ago. Let this video stand as evidence.
Very powerful Phil, and very painful to watch. Carysfort was my favorite stop and personal playground as a kid when my grandfather and I would sail to the Bahamas each summer in the late 70's early 80's. Like you, I've dedicated my life to the study of coral reefs, and sadly I'm convinced their extinction is imminent and unchangeable. Thank you for putting this video together.
Thank you Phil for sharing your life's work to diligently and lovingly monitor the Carysfort Reef, as well as film its demise over so many decades. What a sad story that is unfortunately happening everywhere.
For those that want to know a large reason why, look up Gene Shinn's work on African Dust.
Excellent Story, thank you. Perhaps unintentionally following the ABT formula (described by Randy Olson, who now promotes the true storytelling way since stories ever were told, which = "And and and", But, Therefore...) here is Phil Dustan's true story: AND the reefs were lovely BUT not anymore, THEREFORE....Now what? let us care, alert others, change our behaviors....Thanks Phil!
Thanks, Phil. I guess. Thanks for being one of the few who get the importance of bioerosion-which is driven by nutrients. Note that the decline (as you well know) started long before the ocean started to warm. The demise of Carysfort Reef has SFA to to with climate change.