Yup, that’s right, we’ve all heard that saying before. Unfortunately, for many people, ‘out of sight’ is just about everything in the oceans … including little-known but vitally important ecosystems known as deep sea coral reefs. These fragile ecosystems are being virtually swept away by fishing gear that scrapes along the bottom of the ocean to catch what few fish are left. These huge traps have weights on them that leave nothing standing (see the picture).

Think of it this way. Imagine you’re out hunting for rabbits and instead of using a shotgun, you use a huge bulldozer with a big net behind it and plow through a forest or grassland, scraping everything in your path - all the little squirrels, the majestic oaks, everything. You haul it up, take out the rabbits, and leave everything else behind … DEAD. A virtual desert in your wake.

Now, why do you care? Well, you may not, but you should. Deep sea coral reefs, like their shallow counterparts are vital habitats for many critically important commercial fish species. They also could provide the basis for new medicines unknown to science.

So what are we doing about it? A lot. In fact, here in the United States, EarthEcho is supporting the efforts of several outstanding organizations, such as Oceana and the Marine Conservation Biology Institute, to try and pass legislation to protect these coral reefs. Many people don’t want to protect them, they want to keep up the status quo. Can you guess who? That’s right! Fisherman and the politicians who pander to them. Well, let’s get one thing straight - we are only working to close down areas that may still have corals and haven’t traditionally been used for fishing.

In the long run, these areas can be healthy and help re-populate the areas where fishing has and will continue to happen. Not only that, but the huge towers of deep sea coral (sometime as large as huge oak trees and as old as 2,000 years!!!) can continue their role in making our planet a place we can call home for generations to come.

Check out www.mcbi.org for more information.

A few days ago I was going through some old books to do research for a speech, and I came across one in particular that I haven’t read in quite some time. I must confess that, as much as I enjoy reading, I rarely get an opportunity to do it. But this book made me pause and sit down. A Sand County Almanac, by Aldo Leopold, is the product of almost two decades of work by a man who spent his life in the environmental field and is an icon to the conservation community.

In his last essay, ‘The Land Ethic,’ Aldo challenges us to, "change the role of Homo sapiens from conqueror of the land-community to plain member and citizen of it," to shed our arrogance and accept the fact that we are all part of a wider system.

Simple though this may seem at first, it holds grave implications for all of us. As soon as we accept that land is part of our community, we must accept that it not only has economic value, but inherent value as well. As my grandfather once said, "all things animal, insect and plant have intrinsic value and the right to existence for their own sake, not because they offer value to humans."

Is it so impossible for us to view our natural world as a partner, rather than a resource? Many so-called "primitive" civilizations did so and survived for thousands of years without changing the natural cycle of life around them. Such a balance has eluded us many times, often with grave circumstances. I remember six years ago I was in Papua New Guinea on a research expedition with Dr. Eugenie Clark. We were there studying a species of sand diver fish in Milne Bay, off the eastern tip of the island. The diving was gorgeous as we spent three weeks plying the waters and exploring the many islands and innumerable reefs of the bay. I remember trading with the many local communities that dotted the islands. They would paddle out to the boat in dugout canoes and take our sugar and rice in return for fresh fruits and vegetables. These people managed to live in harmony with the land and especially with the ocean. Whenever I saw a piece of trash float by, left by other boats, I felt terribly ashamed that we were not able to do the same.

A few years later I was at a biodiversity conference in the Caribbean. One day in particular we were talking about fisheries management, or in this case the lack thereof. As I watched scientists bicker over methodologies and hypotheses, my mind drifted back to Leopold’s land ethic. Something was missing from all of these proceedings. There was no talk of responsibility and stewardship — a problem which is endemic to our society today.

Time and time again we have seen that the destruction of habitat or the extinction of a species lead to poverty and destitution, not economic prosperity. We are tied to every living creature, in one way or another, and none of us can live without a healthy planet.

Remember … EVERYTHING you do makes a difference …