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Caribbean coral reefs on verge of collapsing: study
Yahoo ^ | 9/10/12 | Ron Recinto | The Lookout

Posted on 09/10/2012 6:40:12 PM PDT by NormsRevenge

Less than 10 percent of the coral reefs in the Caribbean show living coral cover and are on the verge of utter devastation, a new study reported in the Guardian states.

Global warming, pollution and overexploitation are the main causes for the damage to reefs, Carl Gustaf Lundin, a director at the International Union for Conservation of Nature, ..

"The major causes of coral decline are well-known and include overfishing, pollution, disease and bleaching caused by rising temperatures resulting from the burning of fossil fuels," Lundin said. ..

...

Global warming is a big factor with coral reefs, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration points out, as more bleaching and infections break out when temperatures rise. Also more carbon dioxide in the air alters the chemistry of the oceans, and slight changes in acidity could alter the growth rates of coral.

However, ScienceDaily, in reporting the work of researchers of Australia's Great Barrier Reef, quoted Terry Hughes of James Cook University: "The good news is that, rather than experiencing wholesale destruction, many coral reefs will survive climate change by changing the mix of coral species as the ocean warms and becomes more acidic."

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Outdoors; Science
KEYWORDS: caribbean; collapsing; coralreefs; verge
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To: Joe 6-pack
now we have the "Reefers"

Reefer Madness!

21 posted on 09/10/2012 7:45:57 PM PDT by Bernard Marx
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To: NormsRevenge

Yeah, whatever. And how about the Vandenberg and other ships that they sink to make artificial reefs? The fish love them. Not saying we should deliberately destroy the coral, but it’s not as big a crisis as these hair-on-fire boneheads would have us believe.


22 posted on 09/10/2012 7:48:18 PM PDT by Fast Moving Angel (A moral wrong is not a civil right: No religious sanction of an irreligious act.)
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To: driftdiver

LOL - Yep, another 10-20 lies every day to hoodwink the clueless.


23 posted on 09/10/2012 7:53:48 PM PDT by Ron C.
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To: NormsRevenge

” - - - rising temperatures resulting from the burning of fossil fuels,” Lundin said.”

Not so. There is no known cause and effect between temperature change and the burning of any fuel. Well, unless you are roasting chestnuts, or something - - - .

Burning fuel releases CO2 which is essential for the CaCO3 in coral skeletons.

BTW, as a true-blue member of famous ‘Coral Reefs Forever Conservatory,’ my question is: “Are we producing enough CO2?”


24 posted on 09/10/2012 7:54:49 PM PDT by Graewoulf ((Traitor John Roberts' Obama"care" violates Sherman Anti-Trust Law, AND the U.S. Constitution.))
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To: NormsRevenge

Vi$it the reef$ before it’$ too late.


25 posted on 09/10/2012 7:57:11 PM PDT by logitech (Who's here so vile, that will not love his country? If any speak, for him I have offended)
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To: NormsRevenge
Just a little FYI, I have had a 200 gallon coral reef tank in my home for over 10 years. My system runs 82 at night and climbs to 89 degrees by evening when the lights go off. Hard corals like the ones mentioned in the story don't seem to give a darn about the temp swing. Sooo, global warming of 1 or 2 degrees? Big whoop! I will also mention that the faster growing stag corals DO seem to go through a cycle where they can RTN (rapid tissue necrosis) almost overnight and then start growing new corals on top of the old skeleton bases. Maybe thats the way they build up 20 floor reef beds. :p

IMO the article is lying.

26 posted on 09/10/2012 8:05:43 PM PDT by Casie
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To: driftdiver
Oh and redistribution of wealth.

Right, the redistribution of wealth right into their own pockets.

27 posted on 09/10/2012 8:11:15 PM PDT by Bellflower (The LORD is Holy, separated from all sin, perfect, righteous, high and lifted up.)
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To: driftdiver
Nonsense!

This is all about.....

Finding NEMO!

(need I say it.../Sarc)

28 posted on 09/10/2012 9:19:48 PM PDT by BwanaNdege (Man has often lost his way, but modern man has lost his address - Gilbert K. Chesterton)
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To: gotribe

except that corals are animals, not plants ;)


29 posted on 09/10/2012 9:54:50 PM PDT by cableguymn
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To: gotribe

except that corals are animals, not plants ;)


30 posted on 09/10/2012 9:56:26 PM PDT by cableguymn
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To: Andrei Bulba

Coral reefs are not fragile as anyone who has raised corals in their fish tank can attest. It takes a particularly poisonous soup to kill coral.
The Caribbean reef is larger than the Great Barrier Reef. It encompasses its entire body of shallow water including all of Mexico, South America and the thousands of islands at its mouth.
Like many others, I have dived many of these littoral regions. While some of Florida’s reef is dead the rest is thriving. The article is pure bunk with no basis in fact.


31 posted on 09/10/2012 10:13:25 PM PDT by Louis Foxwell (Better the devil we can destroy than the Judas we must tolerate.)
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To: NormsRevenge
Global warming is a big factor with coral reefs, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration points out, as more bleaching and infections break out when temperatures rise.

And the exact same thing can be said about global cooling.

Also more carbon dioxide in the air alters the chemistry of the oceans

Only in lagoons with a few feet of water.

and slight changes in acidity could alter the growth rates of coral.

Yes. They can slow or increase their growth rates based on the acidity/alkalinity of seawater.

In other words, they have said nothing.

32 posted on 09/11/2012 3:48:51 AM PDT by justa-hairyape
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