A former environmental specialist with SWCA, Mike Stermitz has spent more than 12 years as a construction manager at Arcadis and other companies, acting as an environmental inspector on projects in Nevada, Texas, New Mexico, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and seven other states. Beyond his management responsibilities with Arcadis, Mike Stermitz is involved with environmental organizations such as the American Fisheries Society and the National Wildlife Federation.
The National Wildlife Federation is involved in a number of environmental issues around the world, including the rapid deterioration of the planet’s coral reefs. Coral reefs rank among the most bio-diverse environments on Earth. For example, the coral reefs of Palau serve as the home to an estimated 700 coral species and approximately 1,400 species of fish. Unfortunately, reefs around the world are succumbing to a number of potentially catastrophic threats. The 360-mile Florida Reef Tract, the third largest coral barrier in the world, has experienced a 98 percent reduction in total coral cover, largely as a result of stony coral tissue loss disease. The situation in Florida, sadly, is not unique, as rising ocean temperatures have had a widespread negative impact on coral reefs. Bleaching, a detrimental process caused by greenhouse gas emissions, was previously observed about once every 27 years around the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. The reef experienced back-to-back mass bleaching events in 2016 and 2017, to disastrous results, and a National Academy of Science report suggests reefs around the world will be subject to bleaching conditions every year through 2050 if temperatures continue to climb. Warmer oceans also lead to more acidic waters and more frequent hurricanes, causing further damage to the world’s coral reefs. Indeed, beyond attacking harmful fishing practices and reducing the presence of pollution in the ocean, reversing the effects of climate change ranks as the most pressing issue facing the world’s coral reefs. To learn more about the threats facing coral reefs and international coral reef restoration efforts, please visit the National Wildlife Federation online at www.nwf.org.
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AuthorThroughout his career in environmental science and inspection, Mike Stermitz has worked to protect waterways and communities from the effects of pollutants. ArchivesCategories |