New pictures taken. Very sad, thought it was worth sharing.
https://www.theguardian.com/environ...eaching-at-the-great-barrier-reef-in-pictures
https://www.theguardian.com/environ...eaching-at-the-great-barrier-reef-in-pictures
Arial pictures of the Great Barrier Reef coral die off
- Thread starter Molter
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Tripod1404
Active member
Unfortunately many scientists believe it is also terminal, not even capable to recover even if we magically stopped and reversed global warming.
fishgate
Active member
Possibly true but who knows what other unintended consequences might happen if we mess with mother nature and don't allow these events to happen. Warming and cooling have happened before and will happen again. I doubt we could do anything if we tried.
Scott07
New member
Sure, maybe.... but wouldn't it at least be cool if we tried to not be a major contributor, if not the main cause? Just saying..... it'll be a really sad day when our grandchildren or great grandchildren have to learn that we were aware of our impact.... we just couldn't get our act together enough to do anything about it.
fishgate
Active member
Personal stewardship is always very important.
jmm
New member
Stopping or even reversing global warming would not save the Great Barrier Reef. Agricultural runoff of pesticides and fertilize are a far greater and more immediate problem. Pollution from industry is also a factor. Man is a polluter, no question about it, but those problems are probably easier to solve than the slow advancement of global warming.
JZinCO
New member
jmm is mostly right. A multipronged approach is required. Run-off is a key risk factor. Management of run-off, as well as poaching of turtles, whales etc. has been very effective. Nevertheless the GBR marine park authority lists the following current priority risks and their sources:
climate change
-altered weather patterns
-sea temp rise
-ocean acidification
-sea level rise
coastal development
-modifying coastal habitat
land-based run-off
-nutrient run-off
-sediment run-off
-outbreak of crown-of-thorns starfish (associated with elevated N)
direct use
-illegal fishing and poaching
climate change
-altered weather patterns
-sea temp rise
-ocean acidification
-sea level rise
coastal development
-modifying coastal habitat
land-based run-off
-nutrient run-off
-sediment run-off
-outbreak of crown-of-thorns starfish (associated with elevated N)
direct use
-illegal fishing and poaching
RadagastWizard
Member
I don't think it's from global warming Bc plants and Animals are more hardy to change than you think
I think it has more to do with pollution and runoff and chemical usage than anything. These are things that these organisms never encountered in thousands of years so they are not adapted to these chemicals
I mean look at the accumulation of mercury in fish..
Think about it... if you raised your tanks temp a degree or two your corals would adjust. But dump some pesticide or weed killer or even a bunch of garbage in there and I bet you get bleached coral
Kind of like a dog. You can feed him old ammoniated food and he will get a tummy ache but he will be fine. But a tiny bit of chocolate and he can die. Bc over the centuries dogs never experienced chocolate so they aren't adapted to eating it. I believe this is how nature works. Things will adapt to their sourroundings and man made chemicals are a relatively new thing so most creatures are not adapted to handling these chemicals Bc this is their first contact with it. If these conditions remain lots of coral will die but some will adapt and thrive, eventually
I think it has more to do with pollution and runoff and chemical usage than anything. These are things that these organisms never encountered in thousands of years so they are not adapted to these chemicals
I mean look at the accumulation of mercury in fish..
Think about it... if you raised your tanks temp a degree or two your corals would adjust. But dump some pesticide or weed killer or even a bunch of garbage in there and I bet you get bleached coral
Kind of like a dog. You can feed him old ammoniated food and he will get a tummy ache but he will be fine. But a tiny bit of chocolate and he can die. Bc over the centuries dogs never experienced chocolate so they aren't adapted to eating it. I believe this is how nature works. Things will adapt to their sourroundings and man made chemicals are a relatively new thing so most creatures are not adapted to handling these chemicals Bc this is their first contact with it. If these conditions remain lots of coral will die but some will adapt and thrive, eventually
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JZinCO
New member
oh boy, I hope this doesn't get derailed, but,
Radagast. Plants and animals are hardy. Systems are resilient. Plants and animals can survive swings in temperature, light, carbonate levels, and nutrient levels (as an aside, yes coral are adapted to chemicals. They produce them, they use them to synthesize biomass. And yes, synthetic chemicals can result in novel responses but in the GBR, we are talking N, P, and inorganic sediments).
Your opinion is nice, but naive. If you don't think simultaneous changes to temperature, light, pH, and nutrient levels outside the natural range of variability do not effect organism's fitness and cannot push a system outside the bounds of its resiliency, than you haven't been reefkeeping responsibly.
Just my humble opinion as a research ecologist
Radagast. Plants and animals are hardy. Systems are resilient. Plants and animals can survive swings in temperature, light, carbonate levels, and nutrient levels (as an aside, yes coral are adapted to chemicals. They produce them, they use them to synthesize biomass. And yes, synthetic chemicals can result in novel responses but in the GBR, we are talking N, P, and inorganic sediments).
Your opinion is nice, but naive. If you don't think simultaneous changes to temperature, light, pH, and nutrient levels outside the natural range of variability do not effect organism's fitness and cannot push a system outside the bounds of its resiliency, than you haven't been reefkeeping responsibly.
Just my humble opinion as a research ecologist
jmm
New member
Global warming is slow. Adaptation on the Great Barrier Reef might just mean the reef dies on the northern side and grows on the southern side. Most corals, at least those in the hobby, can exist (even thrive) over a range of temperatures. Three tenths of a degree over a hundred years just doesn't seem as drastic as a day's runoff of Spectracide.
Incidentally, one drop of a chemical used in many sunscreen lotions can render toxic a trillion gallons of water (I can't recall the source, so don't demand it).
Incidentally, one drop of a chemical used in many sunscreen lotions can render toxic a trillion gallons of water (I can't recall the source, so don't demand it).
Rich1Reef
New member
Global warming will cause die off but it won't force any kind of extinction. Stuff will just migrate. Warming is the great bait and switch of our lifetimes. It's the chemicals that are going to kill us. I can't believe that there is such a large group of people on this planet who think that the coastlines should stay exactly the same forever and ever. That temperature swings didn't exist before man. Just because you built 1000 cities on the coastlines doesn't mean warming is going to kill us. Chemicals though ...... that's another story.
http://time.com/4080985/sunscreen-coral-reefs/
http://time.com/4080985/sunscreen-coral-reefs/
RadagastWizard
Member
Adapt or die, it's how the world works
Look at the environment when Dino's existed oxygen was way higher too
Things change and animals change or they get replaced by the next best thing
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