CoralMining: Difference between revisions
From coraldigest
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
= Coral Mining = | = Coral Mining = | ||
[[Purpose of Mining]] | [[Purpose of Mining]] | ||
*Construction | *Construction | ||
**Limestone | **Limestone | ||
| Line 16: | Line 17: | ||
[[Methods for Mining]] | [[Methods for Mining]] | ||
*Dynamite Blasting | *Dynamite Blasting | ||
**Affects a large area of the coral reef | **Affects a large area of the coral reef | ||
| Line 21: | Line 23: | ||
**Collectors use small boats, free-dive, or wade into the coral reefs to collect the corals | **Collectors use small boats, free-dive, or wade into the coral reefs to collect the corals | ||
**Large corals are broken up into small, manageable pieces using iron bars | **Large corals are broken up into small, manageable pieces using iron bars | ||
[[Location of Mining]] | |||
*coral mining can really take place anywhere there is coral available in a convenient location (off cays in shallow water, usually at low tide) | |||
*prominent locations include: the Great Barrier Reef, the Maldives, Panama, Indonesia, East Africa, the the general area of the South Pacific | |||
[[Impacts of Mining]] | |||
*loss in biodiversity due to: | |||
**loss of substrate | |||
**increased sedimentation | |||
**more algae | |||
**land retreat | |||
**increased vulnerability to waves and natural disasters | |||
**decrease in recruitment (mainly because there is not enough substrate available) | |||
*some reefs that have been mined at left untouched for 20 years have still not recovered because the biodiversity of the reef depends on corals and because corals do not have sufficient substrates to attach themselves to, coral cannot survive | |||
*Surprisingly, the harvesting of live corals, etc. for the aquarium industry do not have much of an impact of the reef. This is because only pieces of coral are taken and much of it is left intact. Also, because corals can regenerate from broken off fragments, it is generally observed that harvesting can be sustainable when the right methods are used | |||
*economic loss to local communities | |||
**less tourism/ecotourism money coming into the community | |||
**the destruction/mismanagement of 1sq. km. of reef results in a loss of up to $6.6 million | |||
**for every $10 is profit made from mining, the community loses $254 (from the fishery and tourism industries) | |||
Revision as of 15:53, 27 February 2013
Coral Mining
- Construction
- Limestone
- Coral can be made into limestone or a cement substitute for use as a building material
- Building Material for Roads, Houses, Seawalls/Groins/Jetties
- Coral is the main construction material in many islands, such as the Maldives, where there is no cheaper option
- Limestone
- Calcium
- Dead coral is made into calcium supplements
- Jewelry/Souvenirs
- Coral jewelry and dried coral are often sold to tourists and exporters
- Marine Aquaria
- Live coral is collected and used by the marine aquarium industry
- Medical Use
- Coral is used for bone graph clinical trials
- Dynamite Blasting
- Affects a large area of the coral reef
- Manual Removal
- Collectors use small boats, free-dive, or wade into the coral reefs to collect the corals
- Large corals are broken up into small, manageable pieces using iron bars
- coral mining can really take place anywhere there is coral available in a convenient location (off cays in shallow water, usually at low tide)
- prominent locations include: the Great Barrier Reef, the Maldives, Panama, Indonesia, East Africa, the the general area of the South Pacific
- loss in biodiversity due to:
- loss of substrate
- increased sedimentation
- more algae
- land retreat
- increased vulnerability to waves and natural disasters
- decrease in recruitment (mainly because there is not enough substrate available)
- some reefs that have been mined at left untouched for 20 years have still not recovered because the biodiversity of the reef depends on corals and because corals do not have sufficient substrates to attach themselves to, coral cannot survive
- Surprisingly, the harvesting of live corals, etc. for the aquarium industry do not have much of an impact of the reef. This is because only pieces of coral are taken and much of it is left intact. Also, because corals can regenerate from broken off fragments, it is generally observed that harvesting can be sustainable when the right methods are used
- economic loss to local communities
- less tourism/ecotourism money coming into the community
- the destruction/mismanagement of 1sq. km. of reef results in a loss of up to $6.6 million
- for every $10 is profit made from mining, the community loses $254 (from the fishery and tourism industries)