| Heron Reef is a living example of a phenomenon ecologists call "Darwin's Paradox." The water around the reef is crystal-clear -- good news for humans who come to view the reef, but bad news for fish and coral polyps on the hunt for food. The water is empty; it lacks the nutrients the reef-community needs to survive. Yet somehow, the reef exists. Here's how: Heron is a complex network of carefully-constructed ecological niches, a self-contained civil society amidst an ocean of brigands.;But death and destruction have come to wreak havoc on Heron Island, and the reef is dying. The phenomenon known as coral bleaching has swept over the reef multiple times in the past ten years, turning coral from vibrant colors to sickly white. The bleaching events lead researchers to wonder if the 6,000-year-old reef is going to make it through the next century, or even the next decade.;The process by which coral bleaching can lead to the degradation of a reef is complex, and reminiscent of the decay of urban neighborhoods. Therefore, management of reefs undergoing frequent bleaching events is similar to the management of blighted urban neighborhoods.;And blighted neighborhoods don't have to stay that way. In Culver City, California, redevelopment is bringing struggling neighborhoods back from the brink. But even though reef systems and neighborhoods are complex in similar ways, redevelopment and careful management may not be enough to save the reef. Additional threats loom on the horizon. |
