Coral reefs are not just pretty and cool—beyond tourism dollars and once-in-a-lifetime diving experiences, they provide real utility to human society. They provide homes to about a quarter of the world’s fish, which many people rely on as a food source. They can act as a barrier to rising sea levels, and they can protect coastlines from eroding.
But thanks to all the carbon we’ve pumped into the air, coral reefs are disappearing. Fast. Part of that is heat stress, but CO2 can also influence coral's ability to form reefs in the first place. A new experiment gives us our first look at how much this affects a complete reef ecosystem.
[...] CO2 enrichment lowered the coral reef’s net community calcification by 34 percent compared to background. Previous laboratory experiments had estimated the calcification sensitivity of corals to be between 15 and 28 percent. The researchers who conducted this study suggest that their new results might show a larger impact because of the presence of crustose coralline algae in the ecosystem, which can alter the balance of carbonate ions. Alternatively, the calcification rate may increase in sensitivity as the concentration of carbonate ions in the water decreases, and this experiment has revealed a snowball effect that we could eventually see in the wild.
(Score: 1, Flamebait) by Gaaark on Monday March 26 2018, @01:49AM (1 child)
The coral just gives the fish a place to hide. Without it, fishermen could just catch em quicker. Get outta here, coral!
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Tuesday March 27 2018, @02:21AM
Flamebait? Someone lose their sarcasm detector in the water?
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 2, Funny) by RandomFactor on Monday March 26 2018, @02:19AM (1 child)
Protect against erosion, sure, but in what way do reefs pose any sort of 'barrier to rising sea levels'?
В «Правде» нет известий, в «Известиях» нет правды
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 26 2018, @04:16AM
Mate, it's right there in its name - Great _Barrier_ Reef.
(Score: 1) by milsorgen on Monday March 26 2018, @05:33AM (2 children)
GMO Corral is the solution oceans crave.
On the Oregon Coast, born and raised, On the beach is where I spent most of my days...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 26 2018, @07:20AM (1 child)
No coral on the Oregon Coast! Only mussels, and Razor Clams, and the occasional Geoduck. But global warming will effect you all the same, when the Columbia backs up to the Falls of the Willimette! Then will you feast on the tidal plethora, and mourn the houses you built! But one among you will arise to lead you all, his name will be MDC. Follow him, his wisdom exceeds yours, even though he is crazy.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 26 2018, @07:44AM
FTFY.
(Score: 2) by Bot on Monday March 26 2018, @09:21AM (1 child)
So, coral is sensitive to CO2 levels. So it could not have evolved until enough O2 was in the atmosphere, letting the CO2 go out of the water, or something like that.
This gives us a data point for evolutionary/fossil studies too.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 26 2018, @10:22AM
https://coral.aims.gov.au/info/evolution.jsp [aims.gov.au]
The Caribbean genera lived through the Eocene - through more heat and more CO2 than in the direst predictions for our warming wave. The Pacific ones largely appeared ony after that warm period passed; the Great Barrier Reef being home to the newest ones.
Now their adaptations to the ice age have come back to bite them. If they cannot adapt, their older relatives will get a bit of new aquatory to move in and grow. Survival of the fittest.