12:14AM 4/27/08

Link for prayer circle:

 http://www.beliefnet.com/prayer/commemoration.asp?milestoneTypeID=6&milestoneID=89454

The coral provides shelter for many animals in this complex habitat, including sponges, nudibranchs, fish (like Blacktip Reef Sharks, groupers, clown fish, eels, parrotfish, snapper, and scorpion fish), jellyfish, anemones, sea stars (including the destructive Crown of Thorns), crustaceans (like crabs, shrimp, and lobsters), turtles, sea snakes, snails, and mollusks (like octopuses, nautilus, and clams). Birds also feast on coral reef animals.

Types of Corals: There are two types of coral, hard coral and soft coral. Hard corals (like brain coral and elkhorn coral) have hard, limestone skeletons which form the basis of coral reefs. Soft corals (like sea fingers and sea whips) do not build reefs.

Where are Coral Reefs?: Coral reefs develop in shallow, warm water, usually near land, and mostly in the tropics; coral prefer temperatures between 70 and 85 � F (21 - 30 �C). There are coral reefs off the eastern coast of Africa, off the southern coast of India, in the Red Sea, and off the coasts of northeast and northwest Australia and on to Polynesia. There are also coral reefs off the coast of Florida, USA, to the Caribbean, and down to Brazil.

The Great Barrier Reef (off the coast of NE Australia) is the largest coral reef in the world. It is over 1,257 miles (2000 km) long.

Types of Reefs: The different types of reefs include:

• Fringing reefs are reefs that form along a coastline. They grow on the continental shelf in shallow water.
• Barrier reefs grow parallel to shorelines, but farther out, usually separated from the land by a deep lagoon. They are called barrier reefs because they form a barrier between the lagoon and the seas, impeding navigation.
• Coral Atolls are rings of coral that grow on top of old, sunken volcanoes in the ocean. They begin as fringe reefs surrounding a volcanic island; then, as the volcano sinks, the reef continues to grow, and eventually only the reef remains.

Coral Reefs in Danger: Many coral reefs are dying. Major threats to coral reefs are water pollution (from sewage and agricultural runoff), Global warming dredging off the coast, careless collecting of coral specimens, and sedimentation (when silt or sand from construction or mining projects muddies the waters of a reef and kills coral, which needs light to live).

“Today, most people think the whales have been saved due to the success of the original “Save The Whales” movement of the 70's which resulted with a moratorium or ban on commercial whaling, but unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth.” said Jeff Pantukhoff, President and Founder of the Hawaii based Whaleman Foundation and Executive Director for the “Save the Whales Again!” Campaign.  “Along with the other alarming threats, whaling nations now are poised to take control of the International Whaling Commission” continued Pantukhoff.  “That’s why we’ve come together now to mount this global campaign called “Save the Whales Again!
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Be a Part of the Greatest Victory in Wildlife Conservation History!

The Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act will not only reduce the global warming pollution that is impacting wildlife habitat across the country, this bill puts billions of dollars toward helping wildlife survive a changing climate. Urge your senators to pass the most important wildlife conservation legislation in history.

Help Protect Black Bears in the Mississippi Delta!

Speak out against the Yazoo Backwater Pumps, which threatens to destroy critical wetlands in the Mississippi Delta. Protect habitat for ducks, geese and the threatened Louisiana black bear!

Is Your Representative one of the Final 50?

Find out if your representative is one of the 50 who need to cosponsor strong global warming legislation today. Help move the House toward passing a bill that protects wildlife and reduces global warming pollution 2% per year.

Help Protect Endangered Plants and Animals!

Congress has a great opportunity to help at-risk wildlife, with a bill called the Endangered Species Recovery Act (S. 700/H.R. 1422). Help reshape how endangered species are managed in the U.S. by speaking up today.

Protect Waterfowl in the Chesapeake Bay

Global warming is threatening America's Chesapeake Bay and the millions of ducks, geese and waterfowl that call it home. Urge your representatives to take strong actions to reduce global warming and its impacts on ducks.

Protect Orcas from Global Warming!

Global warming is threatening Washington's Puget Sound, home to one of America's most amazing orca pods. Urge Congress to support strong global warming pollution reductions and make sure wildlife is protected from a changing climate.

Protect Florida's Everglades from Development

Five development projects--including two massive golf course communities--threaten an estimated 1,140 acres of wetlands in the Western Everglades, hurting prime wood stork habitat. Voice your concerns with the federal officials in charge.

More ways to speak up for wildlife...

This is to let People KNOW.....

This is very bad it makes me sad :(

Terri Irwin to Launch Whale Research

SYDNEY, Australia — The widow of TV "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin announced Thursday she will launch non-lethal research of whales in Antarctic waters next year in hopes of showing that Japan's scientific whale kill is a sham.

Tokyo has staunchly defended its annual cull of more than 1,000 whales as crucial for research, saying it is necessary to kill the whales to properly gather information about their eating, breeding and migratory habits.

Environmentalists and anti-whaling nations say the slaughter is commercial whaling in disguise, because much of the meat from the whales ends up being sold commercially.

Terri Irwin said that a whale watching program she started to honor her late husband would expand into scientific research in 2008. Steve Irwin, the high-profile wildlife show host and environmental campaigner, was killed by a stingray last year off Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

"We are working with Oregon State University to do formalized research in the southern hemisphere," Terri Irwin told the Nine Network television. "We can actually learn everything the Japanese are learning with lethal research by using non-lethal research."

Japan's whaling fleet is run by a government-backed research institute and operates under a clause in International Whaling Commission rules that allows whales to be killed for scientific purposes.

Japan had planned to kill up to 50 endangered humpback whales this season, but backed away from the plan in the face of strong international condemnation.

"We are determined to show the Japanese they can stop all whaling, not just humpbacks," Irwin said.

Further details of Irwin's planned research program were not immediately available.

Earlier this month, Irwin threw her support behind a radical conservation group that has vowed to disrupt Japan's annual whale hunt, allowing the U.S.-based Sea Shepherd Conservation Society to rename one of its flagship vessels after her late husband.

Sea Shepherd has come under heavy criticism in recent years for engaging in violent tussles with the Japanese whaling fleet in Antarctic waters.

Japan halts humpback whale hunt

Tokyo still plans to kill nearly 1,000 whales, mostly of the minke variety [EPA] Japan has dropped a plan to kill humpback whales following strong protests led by Australia.   "Japan will not hunt humpback whales," Nobutaka Machimura, Japan's chief government spokesman, said on Friday.   "It's true that Australia expressed quite a strong opinion to Japan on this," he said. bodyVariable350="Htmlphcontrol1_lblError"; "As a result, I hope that this will lead to better relations with Australia."   Japan had planned to harpoon around 50 humpbacks on its current expedition - the first time since the 1960s that Tokyo would have hunted the species, which are popular with Australian whale-watchers. bodyVariable300="Htmlphcontrol2_lblError"; Antarctic expedition   Tokyo, however, is still going ahead with its expedition in the Antarctic, planning to kill nearly 1,000 other whales, mostly of the smaller minke species.    Machimura said Japan and Australia had cultural differences over whales but that Tokyo hoped to preserve relations with Canberra, where the new left-leaning government has stepped up pressure against the hunt.    "Australians consider whales to be very affectionate, something I can't really relate to. But apparently they give names to every whale and there's quite strong public sentiment," Machimura said.    But he denied that Japan was backing down in response to Australia, saying it made its decision after talks with the head of the International Whaling Commission (IWC).    "Japan is thinking of the IWC as an organisation as a whole and that is why we decided on this, instead of particularly thinking about Australia," Machimura said.    Japan, which says whale meat is part of its culinary culture, hunts whales using a loophole in a 1986 IWC moratorium that allows "lethal research" on the giant mammals.   Welcome move   In Canberra, a spokesman for Stephen Smith, the foreign minister, said: "The Australian government welcomed Japan's announcement.     "While this is a welcome move, the Australian government strongly believes that there is no credible justification for the hunting of any whales and will vigorously pursue its efforts ... to see an end to whaling by Japan," he said.     Meanwhile, the Australian embassy in Tokyo said it, along with other embassies, would deliver a document on whaling to Japan's foreign ministry on Friday.   The embassy has declined to disclose the contents of the document or say how many other countries were involved.     While the whales are killed for "scientific purposes", their meat ends up in Japanese supermarkets and restaurants, although the public appetite for what is now a delicacy is waning.     Some experts say Japan fears that limits on whaling will lead to limits on all Japanese fishing. Others argue the whaling campaign is a form of nationalist diplomacy.

This is really interesting.........

JUST CLICK ON YOUR STATE...... Then look for your town or city.

IS YOUR TOWN HAUNTED??????