2010, another year of extreme coral bleaching

2010, another year of extreme coral bleaching

Tonington

#1Sep 22nd, 2010

"This year’s extreme heat is putting the world’s coral reefs under such severe stress that scientists fear widespread die-offs, endangering not only the richest ecosystems in the ocean but also fisheries that feed millions of people.

From Thailand to Texas, corals are reacting to the heat stress by bleaching, or shedding their color and going into survival mode. Many have already died, and more are expected to do so in coming months. Computer forecasts of water temperature suggest that corals in the Caribbean may undergo drastic bleaching in the next few weeks.

What is unfolding this year is only the second known global bleaching of coral reefs. Scientists are holding out hope that this year will not be as bad, over all, as 1998, the hottest year in the historical record, when an estimated 16 percent of the world’s shallow-water reefs died. But in some places, including Thailand, the situation is looking worse than in 1998.

Scientists say the trouble with the reefs is linked to --. For years they have warned that corals, highly sensitive to excess heat, would serve as an early indicator of the ecological distress on the planet caused by the buildup of greenhouse gases"

I guess someone forgot to tell the corals that the world is supposed to be cooling...

captain morgan

Re: 2010, another year of extreme coral bleaching

Sep 22nd, 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by Tonington

I guess someone forgot to tell the corals that the world is supposed to be cooling...

Who should I send the memo to?

Cobalt_Kid

Re: 2010, another year of extreme coral bleaching

Sep 22nd, 2010

With a current global energy imbalance of about +0.5w/m2 and C02 concentration increasing by over 2ppm a year I think you can write off most of the coral reefs in the world by the mid point of this century if not sooner. Change is happening so fast that corals and the communities associated with them are going to have little chance to re-establish themsleves as climatic conditions suitable to their growth migrate polewards with the overall warming of the globe.

Praxius

Re: 2010, another year of extreme coral bleaching

Sep 22nd, 2010

Oh well, life goes on.

Walter

Re: 2010, another year of extreme coral bleaching

Sep 22nd, 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by Cobalt_Kid

With a current global energy imbalance of about +0.5w/m2 and C02 concentration increasing by over 2ppm a year I think you can write off most of the coral reefs in the world by the mid point of this century if not sooner. Change is happening so fast that corals and the communities associated with them are going to have little chance to re-establish themsleves as climatic conditions suitable to their growth migrate polewards with the overall warming of the globe.

You're right, because the Earth has always been as it is now and has never before undergone change.

Avro

Re: 2010, another year of extreme coral bleaching

Sep 22nd, 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by Walter

You're right, because the Earth has always been as it is now and has never before undergone change.

Is this you admiting there is change Walt?

Good boy, you're starting to get it old fella.

Now can you tell me what forced the last change?

Cobalt_Kid

Re: 2010, another year of extreme coral bleaching

Sep 22nd, 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by Walter

You're right, because the Earth has always been as it is now and has never before undergone change.

We overwhelmed the natural climate forcings years ago, the change going on now is at a rate only seen rarely in the geological record, namely the mass extinction events.

Cliffy

Re: 2010, another year of extreme coral bleaching

Sep 22nd, 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by Praxius

Oh well, life goes on.

But for how long and at what cost? Business as usual will only speed things up until we crash into the proverbial brick wall.

Cobalt_Kid

Re: 2010, another year of extreme coral bleaching

Sep 22nd, 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by Praxius

Oh well, life goes on.

Yes, but for less and less species every day.

Research shows that habitats are migrating polewards at about 35 kilometres a decade while the biotas(flora and fauna) are only able to migrate at about 8 km/decade.

With the warming already inevitable we're looking at a loss of about 20% of species by the end of this century. This goes up to about 60% with a doubling of C02 levels from pre-industrial times.

According to James Hansen at between a +10-20 watts per metre squared forcing we'll cross a tipping point that results in a runaway greenhouse effect that will kill all surface life... in which case life won't go on.

Tonington

#10

Re: 2010, another year of extreme coral bleaching

Sep 22nd, 2010

The topic is coral bleaching due to excessive temperatures. If you want to debate causation, detection, and attribution of climate change; whether the planet is warming; stolen emails or any other related topics, there are plenty of threads for those already.

The topic here is climate change impacts on corals, which at our current pace of change, are substantive.

Avro

#11

Re: 2010, another year of extreme coral bleaching

Sep 22nd, 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by Tonington

The topic is coral bleaching due to excessive temperatures. If you want to debate causation, detection, and attribution of climate change; whether the planet is warming; stolen emails or any other related topics, there are plenty of threads for those already.

The topic here is climate change impacts on corals, which at our current pace of change, are substantive.

Can't be done Tonn, this topic dosen't go well with the denier talking points.

Just like that long winded junk spewed out by Praxious....eveything that was said there has been thoroughly debunked again and again.

Coral reefs....umm....duh....oh yeah....well......life goes on....nah nah nah.

Hows that for science.

Tonington

#12

Re: 2010, another year of extreme coral bleaching

Sep 22nd, 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by Avro

Hows that for science.

It's not even wrong. But to be expected...

petros

#13

Re: 2010, another year of extreme coral bleaching

Sep 23rd, 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by Tonington

The topic is coral bleaching due to excessive temperatures. If you want to debate causation, detection, and attribution of climate change; whether the planet is warming; stolen emails or any other related topics, there are plenty of threads for those already.

The topic here is climate change impacts on corals, which at our current pace of change, are substantive.

Bleaching during an el Nino year? Gee that's odd.

DurkaDurka

#14

Re: 2010, another year of extreme coral bleaching

Sep 23rd, 2010

What's wrong with anal bleaching? Oops, wrong thread.

petros

#15

Re: 2010, another year of extreme coral bleaching

Sep 23rd, 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by DurkaDurka

What's wrong with anal bleaching? Oops, wrong thread.

Hair or the hoop it's self?

Tonington

#16

Re: 2010, another year of extreme coral bleaching

Sep 23rd, 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by petros

Bleaching during an el Nino year? Gee that's odd.

There's bleaching in years without an El Nino too. And plenty of El Ninos have occurred, only two global bleaching events have been recorded.

Praxius

#17

Re: 2010, another year of extreme coral bleaching

Sep 24th, 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by Tonington

There's bleaching in years without an El Nino too. And plenty of El Ninos have occurred, only two global bleaching events have been recorded.

That's all well and good, but still, what's the point in making us aware of this?

What do you propose to do about it?

And I mean, what do you propose that will actually do something about it that can be done before they all die off?

If nothing can be done and they're going to die off anyways, what do you propose we do to prepare for the after effects?

Tonington

#18

Re: 2010, another year of extreme coral bleaching

Sep 24th, 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by Praxius

And I mean, what do you propose that will actually do something about it that can be done before they all die off?

If nothing can be done and they're going to die off anyways, what do you propose we do to prepare for the after effects?

A few things, number one would be to limit human impacts on coral reefs, and that is a big one because all of the stressors add up.

The second, would be to start building colonies of endangered corals, or those most at risk, in areas where they would still be within their tolerated water parameters.

Tonington

#19

Re: 2010, another year of extreme coral bleaching

Sep 24th, 2010

Well, fair warning. I'm moving the posts that don't pertain to coral reefs to:
--

Avro

#20

Re: 2010, another year of extreme coral bleaching

Sep 24th, 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by Tonington

Well, fair warning. I'm moving the posts that don't pertain to coral reefs to:
--

Thanks Tonn, sorry this thread was hijacked.

captain morgan

#21

Re: 2010, another year of extreme coral bleaching

Sep 24th, 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by Avro

Umm, where is it then?

Uuummmm, in a therad called "2010, another year of extreme coral bleaching"

The statement that the corals are bleaching is based on an assumption of AGW... That's the focus here, isn't it? The corals are another alarmist observation that is expected to prove AGW... Put this entire thread into one of the many existing threads.

Avro

#22

Re: 2010, another year of extreme coral bleaching

Sep 24th, 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by captain morgan

Uuummmm, in a therad called "2010, another year of extreme coral bleaching"

The statement that the corals are bleaching is based on an assumption of AGW... That's the focus here, isn't it? The corals are another alarmist observation that is expected to prove AGW... Put this entire thread into one of the many existing threads.

What's a therad?

Tonington

-1

#23

Re: 2010, another year of extreme coral bleaching

Sep 24th, 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by captain morgan

The statement that the corals are bleaching is based on an assumption of AGW.

No... are you serious? The statement that corals are bleaching is based on an observation that corals lose the symbiotic zooxanthellae when temperatures exceed a thermal threshold.

The number of reef provinces experiencing bleaching has increased steadily...as one would expect as the ocean stores more heat. There is a very simple association here, it's not difficult, and it's not an assumption. It's easily observed...

Avro

#24

Re: 2010, another year of extreme coral bleaching

Sep 24th, 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by Tonington

No... are you serious? The statement that corals are bleaching is based on an observation that corals lose the symbiotic zooxanthellae when temperatures exceed a thermal threshold.

The number of reef provinces experiencing bleaching has increased steadily...as one would expect as the ocean stores more heat. There is a very simple association here, it's not difficult, and it's not an assumption. It's easily observed...

Nope, have to call you on this one Tonn.

The coral reef is in on the conspiracy.

Nice try though.

Tonington

#25

Re: 2010, another year of extreme coral bleaching

Sep 24th, 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by Avro

The coral reef is in on the conspiracy.

Hmm, I don't recall seeing the reefs listed in the stolen emails, but then I didn't really spend my time reading other peoples private emails while complaining about ethical concerns relating to the work of those whose personal emails I was reading...

petros

#26

Re: 2010, another year of extreme coral bleaching

Sep 25th, 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by Tonington

No... are you serious? The statement that corals are bleaching is based on an observation that corals lose the symbiotic zooxanthellae when temperatures exceed a thermal threshold.

The number of reef provinces experiencing bleaching has increased steadily...as one would expect as the ocean stores more heat. There is a very simple association here, it's not difficult, and it's not an assumption. It's easily observed...

Sponge Bob is dieing from too much heat?
Is this the first time in earths history corals have died? How did they manage to survive for hundreds of millions of years in the past with wildly varying ocean and atmospheric chemistry and temperatures?

Tonington

#27

Re: 2010, another year of extreme coral bleaching

Sep 25th, 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by petros

Sponge Bob is dieing from too much heat?

No...sponge bob is a sponge. The corals don't die because of the heat, they die of starvation because there are no photosynthesizing zooxanthellae to sustain them.

Quote:

Is this the first time in earths history corals have died?

Of course not.

Quote:

How did they manage to survive for hundreds of millions of years in the past with wildly varying ocean and atmospheric chemistry and temperatures?

The rate of change right now exceeds the majority of natural ocean chemistry and temperature changes in the past, with few exceptions. Corals will migrate, and they can adapt. But they can adapt over long periods of time, not on decadal time scales. It took 30 million years for atmospheric CO2 to drop from 900 ppmv to present levels, and we will push it back to that level on our present trajectory in just 90 years. These kinds of changes we're imposing will appear in the geologic record as those few exceptions that nature provided, and just as when nature provided the change, there will be massive loss of biodiversity.

#juan

#28

Re: 2010, another year of extreme coral bleaching

Sep 25th, 2010

By --
May 29, 2008

-- -- -- --

Comments -- -- | |
Killing off an ecosystem because of the coconut-scented oils I have no choice but to slather on my body? When I read the report, I was nothing short of perplexed.
An Italian university -- published in the -- of Environmental Health Perspectives links sunscreen to coral bleaching. Coral is an aquatic, stone-like structure that has cracks and crevices inhabited by colorful symbiotic organisms called zooxanthanellae. --, induced by changing ocean temperatures, pollution, and bacterial pathogens, is the process in which hard coral loses its alluring tenants, leaving behind bare, whitish rock. While -- has indicated sunscreens can bioaccumulate in the food chain, and that they may breakdown to form toxic by-products, never had there been a connection between my pina colada scented beach balm and coral bleaching.
The researchers tested, out in the wilds of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans as well as at the Red Sea, the effects of different sunscreen brands, protective factors, and concentrations on coral algae. They found that the ray blocking products caused the cells of algal organisms to rupture, resulting in death. Through a few steps of math, the scientists estimate that about 25 percent of the sunscreen we apply to ourselves is washed off during a 20 minute dunk, and that since around 10 percent of UV filters are used in tropical areas that contain coral, up to 6,000 tons of the stuff is released annually in reef areas.

Suntan lotion causes problems for choral.....

Tonington

#29

Re: 2010, another year of extreme coral bleaching

Sep 25th, 2010

For Praxius, who asked what can be done, building reefs. Good video here:
----

petros

#30

Re: 2010, another year of extreme coral bleaching

Sep 25th, 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by Tonington

The rate of change right now exceeds the majority of natural ocean chemistry and temperature changes in the past, with few exceptions. Corals will migrate, and they can adapt. But they can adapt over long periods of time, not on decadal time scales. It took 30 million years for atmospheric CO2 to drop from 900 ppmv to present levels, and we will push it back to that level on our present trajectory in just 90 years. These kinds of changes we're imposing will appear in the geologic record as those few exceptions that nature provided, and just as when nature provided the change, there will be massive loss of biodiversity.

5 major mass extinctions, all with wild swings in both ocean and atmospheric chemistry and all were catastrophic with huge changes in just a matter of a few hours. Trilobites didn't survive the Ordo-Sil event although all previous catastrophes created more and more diversification for the trilobite, yet corals which have had very little change right from day one have cruised right on through?

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