The Nature Conservancy and a dozen of the world's top marine scientists met up in Honolulu recently to declare one major thing: acidification is a huge threat to our oceans, and therefore us.  The scientists introduced the latest key findings and potential solutions to tackle the subjects of ocean acidification and coral reef management.

“Coral reefs are at the heart of our tropics, and millions of people around the world depend on these systems for their livelihoods. Without urgent action to limit carbon dioxide emissions and improve management of marine protected areas, even vast treasured reefs like the Great Barrier Reef and Northwestern Hawaiian Islands will become wastelands of dead coral,” said Lynne Hale, director of The Nature Conservancy’s Marine Initiative. 

Acidification occurs as a result of oceans absorbing carbon dioxide and other chemical compounds.  Oceans absorb approximately one-third of the CO2 in the atmosphere, which then mixes with the sea water to form carbonic acid that in effect lowers the pH of the waters and disrupts marine ecosystems and species.  

The increasing amounts of acid in our oceans is the main culprit behind the declining numbers of coral reefs, which also means the decline in fish and other marine species, which will eventually mean a lot less of us.  At the recent meeting in Honolulu, researchers announced that current estimates show we could lose all coral reefs by the end of the century, or in a worst case scenario much sooner than that.

As a combatant, the group made notes as to what else can be tacked onto pushes for tougher legislation limiting carbon emissions.  One suggestion on their declaration (to be presented in front of the United Nations in coming months) may seem like common sense, but it's a crucial if subtle suggestion: mandating the inclusion of climate change actions into marine protected area management plans.  The group feels the atmosphere and the ocean tend to get separated a bit too much during global warming talks, and their declaration hopes to change consciousness by further connecting the dots.

To request a copy of the Honolulu Declaration, the Nature Conservancy provided an e-mail address to do so: cmestre@tnc.org 

According to recent evidence, our teeth and gums shouldn't be seen as somehow separate from the rest of our body.  The fact that we have dentists and doctors that operate on two different areas pounds this notion into our subconscious, but researchers are finding a direct correlation between the health of our mouths and the rest of our bodies.

Several studies over the years have been published detailing the link, suggesting that something like gum disease might be a sort of early warning system, with poor oral health linked to kidney and heart disease, diabetes, preterm labor, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease and even certain types of cancer.  There are still many questions and uncertainty as to how exactly the link works, but Vincent J. Iacono, president of the American Academy of Periodontology shed some perspective in 2005:

"It is like setting up a garbage dump on the edge of a river.  You wouldn't be surprised if the lake downstream ended up polluted with the garbage from the dump."  

In gum disease, the tissue that surrounds the bones supporting the teeth become inflamed or infected.  This often results from the accumulation of bacteria in the plaque under the tissue holding the teeth.  The bacteria then releases toxins that begin to destroy the bone.  Researchers believe they circulate through the blood stream and cause damage in other bodily regions.  

As it is now, doctors and dentists rarely ever cross paths.  Both read separate journals and attend different conferences, but perhaps the two fields will unite closer in the near future.