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24 May 2011 08:49:57
A University of Bedfordshire environmental expert spoke at a key event in London on climate change
Professor James Crabbe, who is Dean of the Faculty of Creative Arts, Technologies and Science (CATS) as well as Professor of Biochemistry, also spoke about coral bleaching at Project Ocean (on 17 May).
Project Ocean is being held at Selfridges department store and is a five week programme of events throughout the store including an interactive window facing out onto Oxford Street.
Professor Crabbe was invited to speak at the invitation of Coral Cay Conservation (CCC), of which he is a Patron. Each year CCC organises hundreds of expeditions to help alleviate poverty by providing countries with the information they desperately need to protect and sustainably use their tropical forests and coral reefs. He said: “It is extremely important to tell the public about the threats to coral reefs, and to the people who depend upon them for their livelihoods. Coral reefs first appeared more than 400 million years ago. We could wipe them out in a comparative heartbeat. Project Ocean is providing an outlet to bring this important issue to the public’s attention.
“Already many of the world's reefs have been degraded, 19 per cent of coral reefs have already been lost and 35 per cent are seriously threatened by direct human actions such as over-fishing, water pollution and sedimentation.
“These estimates do not take into account the combined effects of climate change including ocean acidification, raising sea temperatures, sea level rise and more frequent occurrences of large storms. I am one of a number of international scientists working with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) to save key coral reef species.”
Guest speakers for Project Ocean range from fashion designers to restaurateurs, fishermen and campaigners. The programme also includes workshops and film screenings; 20 tanks each featuring a different coral, specially cultivated for the exhibition by the ZSL; a video and audio installation by artist Beth Derbyshire called The Seven Seas.
For more
information about coral reef conservation, visit the ZSL website
Latest news» 2011» May» University expert speaks on coral bleaching and climate change
