2019 Life Logs, Day 136: Super Coral Reefs
Date: Thursday, May 16, 2019
Weather: Mostly Sunny; High 68, Low 48 degrees F
Location: Back Home in the Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
The highlight of my day was watching Heather moderate a panel discussion following a viewing from the film, Super Reefs: The Future of Corals.
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When I found out about the event, I tried to register, but it was already ‘sold out’. This was an event sponsored by Woods Hole Oceanographic in conjunction with the Woods Hole Film Festival. It was free, but you had to pre-register. Thankfully, the panel discussion following the film viewing was live streamed on Facebook. I watched that way and even took a few photos of my computer screen to document the event. The panel of experts were all excellent and Heather did a fantastic job of moderating the discussion. I know I am prejudiced, but she is really good! One of the panelists was so passionate that it brought me to tears. Super reefs are coral reefs that are able to survive the warming of ocean waters caused by global warming. Some of these super reefs can breed resilient larvae that can reseed other reefs. The most passionate of the panel members is a Woods Hole researcher who has dedicated her life’s work to try and save the earth’s coral reefs by identifying and studying super reefs. In answering a question from the audience, she stated that 80 some percent of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia is dead as a result of a huge spike in temperatures in 2015 to 2017. Breaks my heart when I think about this, but it was good to hear the panelists look to the future with things that can be done to try and minimize destruction as we move forward. The film was made to bring attention this issue and I hope I’ll be able to see the full film this summer during the Woods Hole Film Festival.
Otherwise, today was spent settling in after the trip to Tennessee. I went to the gym to ride the stationary bike, went to the grocery store to restock my refrigerator, did a quick laundry, stopped at the post office to pick up my mail, and then came home to fix dinner. For whatever reason, the trip to Tennessee was not good for my knee. It is warm to the touch and a bit swollen, obviously inflamed. But riding the stationary bike at the gym helped loosen it up a bit. I’ll start icing it again, and if that, plus a few days of consistent exercise doesn’t solve the problem, I’ll make an appointment with the orthopedic surgeon’s assistant. But I’m hoping that by getting back into my exercise and walking routines, things will improve.
