People and the Reef

We selected this category to demonstrate the countless ways in which people view coral reefs. Visions of reefs have changed through time, but is it because of personal interpretation or real change?

Understanding Shifting Baseline Syndrome

Natural environment changes. These changes can be great over a human lifetime but only subtle over a few months or years. Change creeps up on us unnoticed until there are no more big fish in the sea-  the younger generations think this is normal, the older ones long for the good old days. This is why it is important to have a ‘baseline’, as this provides us with a reference point with which to accurately measure our impact on the environment and do something about it! In ecological jargon, ‘baseline’ refers to the initial, pristine state of a community of organisms. The fisheries biologist Daniel Pauly has remarked upon the significant problem of what he calls a ‘Shifting Baseline Syndrome’. Without a baseline to use as reference, our standards for the environment decline, leaving a world less aware of vanishing species, dirty polluted air, and contaminated water (Jeremy Jackson 2002).

What can you do?

By joining a Reef Check Monitoring Team you will start to document the status of our reefs to help ensure our baselines cannot shift further unnoticed.

Animals and their behavior are a critical part of a reef ecosystem. Watching animals in their natural setting can teach us about their different roles within their ecosystem. By comparing the roles with those played by humans in our society, we can learn more about sustainable living.

What is sustainable living?

The natural environment provides us with a number of resources as well as services e.g. decomposition of waste, filtering water or controlling the climate. Sustainable living means making choices about the resources you use to ensure the services your environment provides to you are maintained into the future. Activities you can take part in to help your community live in a sustainable manner include:

• Reduce use of fossil fuels and use renewable energy whenever and wherever possible.
• Reduce your waste and recycle.
• Reduce use of harmful chemicals such as cleaning products and replace them with environmentally safe alternatives wherever possible.

While we should applaud people’s efforts to reduce the waste that we produce, it is worth remembering that reefs have evolved to recycle every bit of matter in their system leaving no waste whatsoever. Reef creatures such as lobsters and sea cucumbers eat up matter from dead animals and plants to ensure the energy is recycled back into the system.

Volunteer divers commit their time and effort to collect important data on the conditions of reefs, and they constitute the soul of Reef Check. California’s waters are often colder and with lower visibilities than tropical ones; yet Reef Check California divers collect data with dedication and a smile on their face. By capturing these committed people in action, we aim to celebrate their efforts and at the same time, inspire others to follow their example and become active participants in shaping the future of California’s marine environment.

Why California?

With one of the largest economies in the world, and stretching over 1,000 miles, California’s coastline is the gateway to a unique and often under-appreciated marine ecosystem. Offshore, just below the surface, kelp forests and rocky reefs play home to a vast array of marine life supporting a diverse array of consumptive and non-consumptive human uses. Unfortunately, similar to reefs around the world, the rapid growth of California’s population, coastal development, pollution, and overfishing have placed increasing demands on our nearshore resources. Many organisms that were previously common in high numbers, like abalone, are now almost gone.

What can you do?

By becoming a Reef Check California diver or member, you will become more informed on the status of our ecosystems and fisheries, and contribute key information to the management of one of California’s most precious resources.

The healthy interactions of fishes, invertebrates and plants on California’s reefs as well as on other reefs of the world are essential to a healthy ecosystem. The lobster and California sheephead prey on the purple urchin, thus keeping its numbers under control and allowing kelp forests to thrive. These in turn provide essential three-dimensional structure analogous to that of a coral reef where other marine species live, feed, hide and interact. Without these predatory species, urchin populations often explode creating what is known as urchin barrens.

About Reef Check California species

The RCCA species list was compiled based on ease of identification and include those that are commonly observed by divers in shallow subtidal rocky reef habitat, of special interest or concern (i.e., protected species, species known to be endangered, overfished and/or seriously depleted), commonly targeted by recreational and commercial fishing activities, or ecologically important species.