Yasi Speeding GBR Decline: Heating + Bleaching "Will Knock Out The Reef In The Long Term Anyway"

[hatrack]

EDIT

Cyclones are a fact of life on the reef -- there were 55 between 1969 and 1997 according to a recent study -- but warming and acidification of the ocean linked to climate change have both increased their frequency and left corals more vulnerable. "What normally would have recovered in the past in many other places in the world takes a long time because the reefs are not optimal; they don't have a lot of resilience," said Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldenburg, Director of Queensland University's Global Change Institute.

"The second thing that is happening is that as we heat the oceans through global warming, we are increasing the frequency of mega cyclones like Yasi.... which potentially, given (the) circumstances, can have really big impacts on coral reefs, reducing their ability to bounce back."

Coral growth has slowed markedly on the reef since 1990 and parts of it have suffered severe bleaching due to rising sea temperatures and acidity that kill its plant-like organisms, leaving just the white limestone skeleton. Overall, both this and cyclone damage are symptoms of worsening and dangerous climate change, said John Merson, from the University of New South Wales.

"I think probably more damage is being done (to the reef) by the rising temperature in the ocean which is causing the cyclone, as well as the reef to be damaged," said Merson. "The other question is the complete lack of attention being given to the fact that we have a category five cyclone because we have climate change, yet we completely ignore this factor in the whole thing. "The same thing -- the heating of the water -- is going to increase coral bleaching which will knock out the reef in the long term anyway."

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http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Cyclone_adds_to_Barrier_Reefs_flood_woes_999.html

[txlibdem]

1. This is what I keep bringing up when faux environmentalists want to stop solar projects

These self-centered idiots want to stop all the solar farms in the desert southwest. Meanwhile the corals are dying and with them countless species of ocean creatures will be wiped out within a decade or two.

The bleaching of corals has already begun. I read that 100% of world corals will be dead by 2050. All the creatures that depend on them for their habitat will be next on the extinction list.

Any time you hear a so-called "environmentalist" trying to stop solar power, wind power or a nuclear power plant you know that they are no environmentalists because they should be demanding these technologies, not fighting against them.