Today we spent the majority of the class listening to the intriguing and engaging lecture of our peers regarding ethical dilemmas in the ocean. The first lecture was about ecotourism and while the concept is good and means to raise awareness, the true intentions of large companies having a much darker twist, meaning to milk the environment of its beauty and natural setting in exchange for cold, hard cash. The group solved this dilemma by stating that further regulation by both the government and tour guides on tourists would keep the Eco in the ecotourism. The second article was about invasive species and their effects on the environment in which they intrude. An example of an invasive species is the lion fish. While not native to the Caribbean, the lion fish has grown abundant in the region, causing problems in niches by interrupting food webs and decreasing the populations of once thriving species. The third article was about artificial reefs and how they contribute to serve as temporary homes while coral grows or recover. From tires to planes, these reefs are sunk purposely in order to stimulate biodiversity and begin a new reef over time. Lastly, we learned about a bird that serves as an indicator species by floating in oil. This bird tells us about chronic oil leaks around Newfoundland. While chronic oil leaks don’t get much media attention, they are just as bad, if not worse than large oil spills, capable of per innately damaging an environment without much acknowledgment.
Francis Rey Hipolito Out.
