Today, four different groups presented four different articles about four different topics. The topics included ecotourism, invasive species, artificial reefs, and chronic oil spills. These presentations were fantastic ways for the whole class to learn about something new. I personally learned something new about each topic.
Ecotourism: I learned that although ecotourism is mainly a conservation measure, more harm than good has become of this industry. While it provides local jobs and promotes awareness, it disrupts natural ecosystems through pollution, engages in green washing by failing to make large-scale, Eco-friendly changes as advertised, and exploits many sacred cultures as tourist attractions themselves. Ecotourism definitely has positive and negative aspects, yet the consequences of such an industry definitely outweigh the benefits.
Invasive Species: Invasive species destroy marine habitats like none other. Since their presence was not originally intended in a specific area, the organisms around this new species would not be able to cope. Many of these species have been transported accidentally by ships, since most of the species latch onto the ship before being pried off in a new location. Take the lion fish for example. The lion fish never used to be a part of the BVI culture; however, after many hurricanes that forced owners to dump their aquariums into the ocean, lion fish have been a part of that culture ever since, destroying the reefs that were once untouched in the BVI. These alien species represent a grave threat to marine life.
Artificial Reefs: I learned that while there is no moral or ethical dilemma involved with artificial reefs, they do present an alternative to solving detrimental factors for reefs, such as ecotourism or invasive species. Simple objects, such as tires, could be used as an artificial reef. The presentation that was given even cited in their article that often artificial reefs attract even more marine organisms than do natural reefs. One benefit of these reefs includes providing immediate temporary habitats to those organisms whose homes might have been destroyed as opposed to waiting years and decades before the natural reefs have fully grown back.
Chronic Oil Spills: One of the most detrimental factors to marine lakeside include chronic oil spills. These are not one-time large oil spills, such as BP’s or Exxon-Valdez’s, but rather they are spills that are occurring daily from factories dumping waste into the ocean to boats simply running their motors. These are more harmful than even one-time large oil spills be because they never allow the marine life to recover from the effects of the oil spills as in larger oil spills that tend to happen occasionally. However, these spills receive much less media attention since they are spills that have occurred so often that they are simply another part of a normal day. Marine life is being slaughtered by these spills and must be dealt with soon.
