Marine Biologists Saving the Caribbean Coral Reefs

 

Marine biologists are helping to save the life of coral reefs and all the ocean critters that depend upon them. Many of them live and do research aboard yachts surrounded by clear blue waters while the scuba dive down and explore coral reefs teeming with extraordinary sea creatures and plant life. They monitor how well the corals are growing in the Caribbean and even create artificial reefs to help preserve our aquatic environment.

    There are dozens of on-going projects throughout the Caribbean, Bahamas and Florida Keys that accept student volunteers. Google “Caribbean Marine Biology Projects” and check them all out. You can help save ocean critters while observing incredible coral reefs and colorful invertebrates and fish while diving or snorkeling with trained marine biologists. You may even get the chance to observe and interact with dolphins, in their own, natural environment! No wonder marine biology is one of the happiest careers around! They rate their career happiness 4.1 out of 5 stars which puts them in the top 7% of careers for contentment.

     In my spy thrillers, CIA spymaster Corey Pearson trained in various coral reef projects as a volunteer for several marine biologists. This afforded him great cover to hide his true CIA identity and to distract his true mission in the Caribbean, Florida Keys and Bahamas.

     In the MISSION OF VENGEANCE spy thriller, it was easy for Corey to “live his cover” as he dove into the Caribbean Sea, escaping the pull of gravity and feeling like he was floating in space while monitoring Nassau Grouper populations… while tracking down Russian Spetsnaz sleeper cells lurking in the Caribbean islands.

     Marine biologists are desperately trying to save the Caribbean coral reefs from vanishing, which have decreased by 60% in the past three decades alone. Climate change, warming waters, ocean acidification, overfishing, physical destruction, and pollution kill them off at an alarming rate. Amazingly, marine biologists have added the field of genetics to their coral research scientific base, in hopes that they may someday create a coral that is more heat tolerant.

     The largest Caribbean coral reef is named the Mesoamerican Reef and it lines the coasts of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. It is a huge barrier reef that stretches nearly 700 miles from the northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula down through the Honduran Bay Islands.

     Another large area where coral reefs flourish is in the center of the Caribbean Sea-the islands of the Greater Antilles: Cuba, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Hispaniola (made up of Haiti and the Dominican Republic), and Puerto Rico. Marine biologists estimate that coral reefs cover over 8,600 sq km within this area.

     In the MISSION OF VENGEANCE spy thriller, CIA spymaster Corey Pearson uses his cover as a marine biologist, along with a vast mosaic of lies and props, to penetrate organizations in South America, Latin America and the Caribbean that pose threats to America. Here are a few snippets from the novel:

     Corey sat on the front porch with his new family. It felt good. Matt poured over the photos of the spotted dolphin pods that lived in the Sea of Abaco. He could identify each one and knew their life histories from reading Corey’s hand-written field notes taken over a decade ago, before he was born. Posing as a marine biologist, Corey had tallied the Nassau Grouper populations throughout the Bahamian archipelago and studied the spotted dolphins around the Sea of Abaco. It made great cover.

               ~~~~~

“As a NOC, you know there are no guarantees in the spy business. You live a deep-cover life of lies and props. I know you are not a marine biologist traversing the Caribbean trying to save the Nassau Grouper. ‘Corey Pearson’ is a false name, and you work for a phony front company. You don’t use diplomatic cover, so I know what you do is dangerous and if you get caught doing something illegal you have no diplomatic immunity to use for protection from prosecution, and America will deny your existence. The GRU and Spetsnaz operate in the same manner, and I cannot guarantee the attack will be by them or by activated Hezbollah sleeper cells. I can, however, give you my best judgement. I can also give you added reassurance that I want to cooperate by telling you the truth in order to defect.”

     “How so?”

     “How is Suvorov doing in his new life in America?”

     “Why do you want to know?”

     Yury Bocharov sloppily chugged down his nearly full glass of Moscow Mule, wiped his mouth and said, “Because he is my son and I want to be with him.”

                ~~~~~

     Onboard with Corey were agents Ashley Murray and Alexis Phillips along with two hazmat technicians and their bomb-sniffing dogs which were posing as service dogs. He was priming them for the operation.

     “I’ll be kayaking into the thick mangrove marshes along Bonefish Creek, which empties into Fernandez Bay. The cache with all our equipment is hidden in the mangroves. My cover will be a trained volunteer diver for REEF. Marine biologists want to know the numbers of juvenile fishes that use these mangroves as nurseries, so I’ll do some fish surveying and recover the cache as I do. I’ve got the coordinates.”

End of snippets.

     We cannot afford to lose our coral reefs! They protect coastlines from storms and erosion, provide jobs for local communities, and offer fascinating recreation. They are also a source of food and new medicines. Over half a billion people depend on reefs for food, income, and coastal protection. They play a crucial role in protecting coastal communities from storm surges and erosion from waves, both of which will increase as sea-levels rise.

     Their disappearance could lead to a domino effect of mass destruction. Many marine species will vanish after their only source of food disappears forever and coral-based tourism will tumble, leading to job losses in the tourist industry. Jobs in commercial and subsistence fisheries will also be gone since half of all federally managed fisheries depend on coral reefs, which play a vital role in the life cycle of food fish. Million of jobs will be lost to local people in the tourism, fishing, and recreational businesses.

     Yes, marine biologists love their work. Here is a video named "Coral Reefs of the Caribbean" which describes why coral reefs in the Caribbean are disappearing and what measures marine biologists are taking to preserve them.

 

Robert Morton is a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO), enjoys writing about the U.S. Intelligence Community, and relishes traveling to the Florida Keys and Key West, the Bahamas and Caribbean. He combines both passions in his Corey Pearson-CIA Spymaster series. Check out his latest spy thriller: MISSION OF VENGEANCE.