Pathologies Affecting Reef Corals at the Flower Garden Banks, Northwestern Gulf of Mexico

The Flower Garden Banks are high-latitude reefs consisting of coral caps on the top of salt domes in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. Limited studies to date report low incidence of coral disease on these reefs. Surveys were conducted to document the extent of coral diseases throughout the Flower Garden Banks, including types of disease present, species affected, percentage of recent colony mortality, cases of false disease, and descriptions of new pathologies. Very few of the known (or reported) Western Atlantic diseases were found, and they occurred at extremely low frequencies. Tissue-skeletal anomalies were common. Several conditions resembled known diseases, although their appearance was not wholly consistent with described pathologies and they may represent different conditions. Both ridge-mortality disease and rapid wasting disease were confirmed to be the result of fish biting activities. Several novel pathologic conditions that do not fit the description or known etiology of any currently described coral disease were discovered at relatively high prevalence rates. Because of an absence of standardized coral disease nomenclature and the unknown etiology of these novel syndromes, they are tentatively named pale ring, pale patch, and mottling syndromes on the basis of field characteristics

How U.S. Ocean Policy and Market Power Can Reform the Coral Reef Wildlife Trade

As the world’s largest importer of marine ornamental species for the aquaria, curio, home décor, and jewelry industries, the United States has an opportunity to leverage its considerable market power to promote more sustainable trade and reduce the effects of ornamental trade stress on coral reefs worldwide. Evidence indicates that collection of some coral reef animals for these trades has caused virtual elimination of local populations, major changes in age structure, and promotion of collection practices that destroy reef habitats. Management and enforcement of collection activities in major source countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines remain weak. Strengthening US trade laws and enforcement capabilities combined with increasing consumer and industry demand for responsible conservation can create strong incentives for improving management in source countries. This is particularly important in light of the March 2010 failure of the parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to take action on key groups of corals

Implications of coral harvest and transplantation on reefs in northwestern Dominica

In June, 2002, the government of Dominica requested assistance in evaluating the coral culture and transplantation activities being undertaken by Oceanographic Institute of Dominica (OID), a coral farm culturing both western Atlantic and Indo-Pacific corals for restoration and commercial sales. We assessed the culture facilities of OID, the condition of reefs, potential impacts of coral collection and benefits of coral transplantation. Coral reefs (9 reefs, 3-20m depth) were characterized by 35 species of scleractinian corals and a live coral cover of 8-35%. Early colonizing, brooders such as Porites astreoides (14.8% of all corals), P. porites (14.8%), Meandrina meandrites (14.7%) and Agaricia agaricites (9.1%) were the most abundant corals, but colonies were mostly small (mean=25cm diameter). Montastraea annularis (complex) was the other dominant taxa (20.8% of all corals) and colonies were larger (mean=70cm). Corals (pooled species) were missing an average of 20% of their tissue, with a mean of 1.4% recent mortality. Coral diseases affected 6.4% of all colonies, with the highest prevalence at Cabrits West (11.0%), Douglas Bay (12.2%) and Coconut Outer reef (20.7%). White plague and yellow band disease were causing the greatest loss of tissue, especially among M. annularis (complex), with localized impacts from corallivores, overgrowth by macroalgae, storm damage and sedimentation. While the reefs appeared to be undergoing substantial decline, restoration efforts by OID were unlikely to promote recovery. No Pacific species were identified at OID restoration sites, yet species chosen for transplantation with highest survival included short-lived brooders (Agaricia and Porites) that were abundant in restoration sites, as well as non-reef builders (Palythoa and Erythropodium) that monopolize substrates and overgrow corals. The species of highest value for restoration (massive broadcast spawners) showed low survivorship and unrestored populations of these species were most affected by biotic stressors and human impacts, all of which need to be addressed to enhance survival of outplants. Problems with culture practices at OID, such as high water temperature, adequate light levels and persistent overgrowth by macroalgae could be addressed through simple modifications. Nevertheless, coral disease and other stressors are of major concern to the most important reef builders, as these species are less amenable to restoration, collection could threaten their survival and losses require decades to centuries to replace. Rev. Biol. Trop. 58 (Suppl. 3): 111-127. Epub 2010 October 01.<br>En junio del año 2002 el gobierno de Dominica solicitó asistencia para evaluar el Instituto Oceanográfico de Dominica (OID), una operación de cultivo de corales del océano Atlántico y del Indo Pacifico para propósitos de restauración y comercio. Evaluamos las facilidades de cultivo del OID, la condición de los arrecifes y el impacto potencial de la recolección de corales y los posibles beneficios del transplante de colonias. Los arrecifes de coral (9 arrecifes de profundidades entre 3 y 20m se caracterizaban por 35 especies escleractíneos y una cobertura viva de coral entre 8 y 35%. Las especies que liberan larvas tales como Porites astreoides (14.8 % de todos los corales), P. porites (14.8%), Meandrina meandrites (14.7%) y Agaricia agaricites (9.1%) fueron los más abundantes, pero sus colonias eran pequeñas (promedio de 25cm de diámetro). El complejo de Montastraea annularis fue otro grupo dominante (20.8% de todos los corales) y sus colonias eran mayores (promedio de 70cm de diámetro). Entre todas las especies los corales habían perdido el 20% de sus tejidos, con un promedio de 1.4% por mortandad reciente. Las enfermedades de coral afectaron 6.4% de todas las colonias, con la incidencia mayor en Cabrits Oeste (11%), Bahía Douglas (12.2%) y el arrecife de Coconut Afuera (20.7%). Plaga blanca y la enfermedad de la banda amarilla causaron la mayoría de la pérdida de tejido vivo, especialmente en el complejo de M. annularis, con impactos localizados por caracoles coralívoros, sobre crecimiento por macroalgas, impactos de tormentas y sedimentación. Mientras los arrecifes parecen estar declinando substancialmente, los esfuerzos de restauración de OID no parecen entablar su recuperación debido a que las especies escogidas para transplantar con las mayores tasas de sobrevivencia incluyen especies que liberan larvas (Agaricia y Porites) que fueron abundantes en las restauraciones, al igual que los organismos potencialmente parasíticos (Palythoa y Erythropodium) que pueden monopolizar el sustrato y sobre crecer a los corales. Las especies de mayor valor para la restauración (corales masivos de liberación de gametos) tuvieron baja sobrevivencia, sufrieron mas de las enfermedades u otros impactos biológicos e impactos antropogénicos los cuales deben ser atendidos para garantizar la sobrevivencia de los corales transplantados. Algunos problemas con la operación de cultivo de OID tales como temperaturas e irradiación altas al igual que sobre crecimiento de algas podrían ser controladas con algunos cambios en los sistemas de irrigación, iluminación y mantenimiento. Sin embargo los altos niveles de enfermedades y otros impactos (macroalgas, ausencia de herbívoros, evidencia de sobre pesca, sedimentación y eutrofización) son de mayor preocupación por sus impactos sobre los corales que proveen el armazón del arrecife ya que estas especies reciben menos beneficio de la restauración, su colección puede amenazar la sobrevivencia de sus poblaciones la recuperación de estos corales podría tomar siglo

Discursos simbólicos e símbolos discursivos: considerações sobre a etnografia da identidade nacional

Partindo da ênfase recente que a teoria das nações vem dando ao caráter imaginado ou "construído" da comunidade nacional, este artigo procura estabelecer pontes com a teoria antropológica e analisar as implicações desse movimento para uma antropologia das identidades étnicas e nacionais. Em particular, seguindo a boa tradição empírica da disciplina, procura-se avaliar essas considerações teóricas tendo em vista possíveis desenvolvimentos da etnografia da formação e das políticas de identidade em contextos nacionais. Nesse sentido, é aqui esboçado o projeto de uma "antropologia do discurso", exemplificada com materiais oriundos de pesquisas sobre identidade nacional na Alemanha e no Brasil. A análise desses dois casos conduz à proposição de uma distinção teórica entre construção da identidade nacional centrada no discurso (Alemanha) e centrada nos símbolos (Brasil).<br>Starting from the recent emphasis that nation theory has been giving to the "imagined" and/or "constructed" character of the national community, the paper looks for connections with anthropological theory and analyses the implications for anthropologys perspective on national and ethnic identities. In particular, following the traditionally strong empirical orientation of the discipline, it also interprets these theoretical assumptions bearing in mind possible developments in ethnographic research regarding the formation and politics of identity in national settings. In this context, the paper sketches the concept of a "discourse anthropology" with examples from research on national identity in Germany and Brazil. The analysis of these two cases leads to a theoretical distinction between discourse-centred (Germany) and symbol-centred (Brazil) constructions of national identity

Healing past violence: traumatic assumptions and therapeutic interventions in war and reconciliation

Since South Africa's truth and reconciliation commission (TRC), a therapeutic moral order has become one of the dominant frameworks within which states attempt to deal with a legacy of violent conflict. As a consequence, the grammar of trauma, suffering, repression, denial, closure, truth-revelation, and catharsis has become almost axiomatic to postconflict state-building. The rise of the postconflict therapeutic framework is tied, ineluctably, to the global proliferation of amnesty agreements. This article examines the emergence and application of two therapeutic truisms that have gained political credence in postconflict contexts since the work of the TRC. The first of these is that war-torn societies are traumatized and require therapeutic management if conflict is to be ameliorated. The second, and related truism, is that one of the tasks of the postconflict state is to attend to the psychiatric health of its citizens and the nation as a whole. The article shows how, and to what effect, these truisms coalesce powerfully at the site of postconflict national reconciliation processes. It argues that the discourse of therapy provides a radically new mode of state legitimation. It is the language through which new state institutions, primarily truth commissions, attempt to acknowledge suffering, ameliorate trauma and simultaneously found political legitimacy. The article concludes by suggesting that, on a therapeutic understanding, postconflict processes of dealing with past violence justify nascent political orders on new grounds: not just because they can forcibly suppress conflict, or deliver justice and protect rights, but because they can cure people of the pathologies that are a potential cause of resurgent violenc