Dont know how aware people are about the declining state of the Reefs around the world...But, if you had the opportunity to put back in to the reefs something from your tank, what would it be and why? Whether it be a fish, coral, invert etc etc..
I'd say that I'm only marginally aware of the problems being faced by our natural reefs. I'll catch an article or report online once in awhile, but certainly wouldn't say that I know anything more about it other than it's happening. From what I've read, many of the problems are related to increasing ocean temperatures and the release of waste into the water.
If I was keeping something in my own personal reef that was trying to be restocked back into the wild, I'd definitely go for it. In the same sense, if there was a serious effort to captively raise anything with the intention of restocking the wild reefs, I'd truly be honored if I could somehow be a part of it and would switch over my system if needed to accomodate what was being reintroduced.
Hmm... I don't have much in my tank now. But it would be my liverock. I am sure it would offer some nice micro organsims to the sea and offer a home for some new ones.
If it came down to "me" a hobbyist giving a little to help, I would give up the whole tank and discontinue the Hobby...If the ocean needs it more than I do by all means I'd give it up and just go visit...Or propogate if it were necessary...or logical.
Since many factors are applying to the reefs depletion, there are underlying issues that need to be addressed soon before we as hobbyists could ever accomplish by putting something back...If the issues were addressed as a whole by the human race, the ocean as well as other resources would replenish naturally and so on...
Another issue is where we get our livestock, It is an economical issue as it supplies jobs and so on...
I play my part by recycling what I can, yet I still drive a vehicle, flush a toilet, use saran wrap and dispose of garbage etc...So untill we as a human race can work together to prevent global warming and whatever else we are doing to the earth, nothing is going to get better...
I am by far no environmentalist, and IMHO they are just hipocrits...but they try!
ARRRRG! I could go on forever...so many things to discuss...:mad2:
Sorry if I rambled and/or may have offended anyone!
well for me, i always like the fact of cultured live rock, not sea taken, but i cant find any, the only one i found is a 45 pound one but no 20 pounders. I will continue my search of course though
Live rock seems like the most interesting thing from reefs, one of the reasons why i wanted to join the hobby.
After reading alot of opinions about them on here, I think I'd give my cleaner wrasse back. Seems they're needed more out there than in my tank (although it would be a wrench)!!
I don't think I would put anything back in, however coral farming exsisting reef species in area where the natural population has declined I would be in favor of.
As far as the world's reef status goes...This is very politically reported. For one...there are reefs thru out the indo pacific that are difficult to reach and are still pristine and flourishing that never get talked about. For two...there are also tons of new life on the reef that doesn't get discussed mainstream but is discussed in scientific literature. Most coastal environments near heavily populated areas are in poor condition, but the outer reefs and deep water reefs are thriving. Alot of what we read is propaganda. There is a truth to all stories, but it how the stories are told that effect us most.
Even the Great Barrier Reef has miles of new growth and miles of decimated reef. Nature has a way of healing things. In the late 70's there were a series of very bad winters and all the "experts" claimed there was a new Ice Age coming. Don't laugh. They really were saying this stuff. Go figure. I like the rest of us can only hope that the Oceans and reefs survive alive and well.
Because of the declining state of reefs globaly it was hard for me to go into the reef keeping hobby knowing that in some way i would be contributing to the degredation of coral reefs. Within a reef ecosystem there are over 1 million species of fish, many are not known to man. Some of these hold the cure to diseases such as the caribean reef sponge. In Southeast Asia cyanide and dynamite fishing was quite common and many reefs and aquatic life suffered from these practaces. Having further researched the topic before i got into reefs i found that this type of fishing is now illegal and live rock could only be taken from reefs after a storm, from boats that had a government permit. The fragmentation that we as hobbyist do contribute to the knowledge as well as possible re-groth of costal reef environments. This is one reason i got into the hobby. I will learn about my own tank and hopefully be able to teach others about the importance of keeping reef systems. So to answer the question i would frag all my corals and hopefully be able to re-introduce them back into their natural environment.
