SAVING A REEF

by Ginny
(Florida Keys, USA)

I live on a tropical island in the USA. It is protected from storms by a reef about twelve miles out to sea. Not long ago I went on the local glass bottom boat along with a group of hotel concierges. We sat there staring through the glass at the murky water and a wasteland of dead coral absent of brightly colored tropical fish.

Appalled at the condition of the obviously dying reef, I asked the captain why on earth he would be taking people out to look at this awful sight. He really had no reply other than to tell me, "It's better now. You should'a seen it a few years ago!" Speechless, I now saw for myself what the pollution of the sea water had been doing to the reef.

The "few years ago" the captain recalled was probably before the Federal government forced the city to stop spewing their sewage directly into near shore waters and put in a waste treatment plant. Unfortunately, at about the same time, the city began allowing larger and more numerous cruise ships to dock at their tiny pier. The diesel fuel and other elements from these monsters that wind up in the near shore waters certainly are not helping the reef return to its former beauty.

Luckily there is an organization that has been trying to do something to save the reef. Reef Relief, and other organizations like it around the country, need financial help from the Obama Administration. Unfortunately for groups like this, the current economic situation will most likely reduce funds rather than increasing them.

Barry's Response - The administration will allocate as the administration sees fit. Not everything will get what it deserves, unfortunately.

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