Shark Depletion - Coral Reef Health - Progessive Evidence of Linkage
Written by Monty Halls (Senior) on 15/12/07
We are publishing outline of recent research in the 'Articles' menu item today (15th December 07) which provides substantial evidence of the linkage between shark depletion and the health of coral reef eco-systems and the effects on their bio-diversity. The article is a summary of 'Microbial Ecology and Evolution: A Discussion at Metagenomics 2006'. Of particular interest to the SCCT is the paragraph concerning the 'Gradient of Human Impact'. The discussion was conducted on 3rd October 2006 on the promise of, and the challenges facing, metagenomics
Clearly, there is an ongoing need to reinforce these microbiological findings with further evidence spread over a convincing time period. It would be interesting to know whether the coral reef structure in the Australian Great Barrier Reef has deteriorated as a result of white-tip and grey reef shark depletion in various managed sections of the reef. We will try and research this question.
In the meantime, the SCCT supports efforts to facilitate the inventory of marine microbial diversity through an International Census of Marine Microbes outlined on the website http://icomm.mbl.edu/ |
