|
Shifting Baselines Contestthe Truth About Coral-Reef Decline
Gene Shinn, from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Center for Coastal and Watershed Studies in St. Petersburg, FL, placed second in the Shifting Baselines photo and caption contest on August 2. Nearly 100 entries from 18 countries were submitted to the contest. The set of three photos entered by Gene, titled "Florida Corals (1959-98)," show a composite coral head consisting of two species of brain coral and one star coral. By 1988, the star coral had eroded away, and by 1998 the once-large coral head was dead and encrusted with gorgonian corals. Craig Quirolo's photograph "Corals (1994-2003)" won first place. Craig is a cofounder of Key West's Reef Relief organization. His photos demonstrate how a 300-year-old coral colony disappeared in less than a decade. Shifting Baselines is not an action group but rather a partnership between ocean conservation and Hollywood to help bring attention to the severity of ocean decline. Nineteen partner groups, including the Ocean Conservancy, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and the Surfrider Foundation, sponsor Shifting Baselines. For more information about the photo contest and to view some of the other finalists and winners, visit Shifting Baselines Photo and Caption Contest.
|
in this issue:
cover story: Drilling Monitoring Wells in the Dry Tortugas American Samoa's Resilient Coral Reefs Seepage Samplers in Ashumet Pond Wastewater - A Potential Threat to Florida Keys Gulf of Mexico Vulnerable to Hurricanes USGS Pacific Science Center Open House Exhibit Designers Interested in Hurricane Research USGS Hosts Science-Learning Session Shore and Beach Preservation Conference Deep Water Coral Research Workshop Jim Estes Wins Shoemaker Award Four Publications Win Shoemaker Awards Gene Shin Wins Shifting Baselines Contest NMSF Regional Office Moving to St. Petersburg, FL Elena Nilsen Joins Coastal and Marine Geology Team USGS Vessel To Test Counter-Terrorism Equipment Southern Sea Otter Video Online |