The Great Barrier Grief

[jas_soh]

"It would be dead in 50 years, due to global warming."

"Coral cover will decrease to less than 5 per cent on most reefs by the middle of the century under even the most favourable assumptions", said the 350 page report from the Queensland University marine studies centre.

"Under the worst-case scenerio, coral populations will collapse by 2100 and the re-establishments of coral reefs will be highly unlikely over the following 200 to 500 years."

The authors spent 2 years examining the effects of rising sea temperatures on the reef for the Queensland tourisum authorities and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

"There is no evidence that corals can adapt fast enough to match even the lower projected temperature rise", it found.

Organisms reliant on coral would become rare or even face extinction, the report said.

(Taken from The Sunday times 22 Feb 2004, 13)

[dravan]

hmmmm this sounds depressing to all coral lovers....

[coralreef]

If it's the temperature problem. I think there's still a hope for saving the coral reef....if there;s problem in water conditions like the parameters, it's a big big problem to save them.

this is what I think, if it's just temp....they can build and block a big area, it can be done, just need funding and i bet that the Aust can do it, it's jus the authority to do it. from there they can try to control the temp. But in such cases, there may not be allow to sell coral at all, totally illegal.

[kschew1498]

hmmm...Very sad!!! and there is nothing anybody can do about the temperature.....I think i will quit reefing to help a little.... (TCSS ah you.... )

[marinebetta]

I think you will have to take this report with a little bit of salt....

There is no evidence that corals can adapt fast enough to match even the lower projected temperature rise

I'm not sure of this statement - I think that they can adjust somewhat to higher temps as long as it's gradual and below their top lethal temp (whatever that may be).

If sea temps go up 6 degrees, it is likely that the GBF will just "move" south - down to southern queensland/northern NSW. So instead of prime diving from Cairns, we may be having prime diving from the Gold Coast instead. Southern seas will always be cooler than northern seas(...and if sea temps are up 6 deg, land temps will likely be about 10 deg more! I don't think I'll be in Singapore then... )

No doubt this expert spent 2 yrs studying the problem for Queensland, plus we do know that prolonged higher temps will kill alot of stony corals, I don't really believe his predictions will happen.

Natural biological ecosystems are much tougher than we generally think and re-generation is a distinct possibility. Of course this takes some time and meanwhile the GBR will not be quite the same - what ecosystem is? They are always evolving according to environmental pressures.

Predictions of biological system are notoriously difficult and many often do not pan out. If not, we would all be starving on this earth according to Malton; and I'm still waiting for the global warming disaster that is already supposed to be here.....

Just IMHO....I tend to have a lot of faith in what olde mother nature can do.....

[terryansimon]

I guess they are just more worried abut the immediate implications. us humans tend to look at short term rather than long term and I think they'll hit the panic button once the temperature rises 1 deg.

actually, frankly, I think they're more worried that lower coastal areas may get hit by the increased sea water height as a direct result of global warming. this. GBF thing is just another way of phrasing it. I'm being frank coz I'm studying this in Geography now.

[marinebetta]

Also....see who's the other sponsor for the study...WWF

[FuEl]

Major project to build a few thousand HP chiller.

[Hon]

Centralise air-condition the entire earth??

[terryansimon]

and release perverse amounts of CFC which destroys the ozone layer? a catch 22 if you ask me.

[blueheaven]

wait till AT hears this

[AquaRa]

dun worry, be happy.

Man is intelligent. will surely think of ways by that time.

[Hard Rock]

With the numbers of tourists visiting the spot.I doubt they can control the suitation.

[FuEl]

dun worry, be happy.

Man is intelligent. will surely think of ways by that time.

I agree...most of the environmental problems are caused by us...we are too intelligent for the well-being of the earth.

[jas_soh]

if the prediction is somewhat accurate, that means the Great Barrier Reef would be gone when i reach 70...hmm.... will my grandchildren have a chance to know that there was such a place? or would it be as remote as DODO birds and the dinosaurs?

[arcanehacker]

I agree...most of the environmental problems are caused by us...we are too intelligent for the well-being of the earth.

precisely.. man is TOO intelligent until we are destroying the earth..

[fangtooth]

i think one of the culprits are us.so how? stop reefing and stick to FW tank? i see potentail business in fake corals.....

[arcanehacker]

even if everyone stops keeping corals, global warming is still gonna kill the coral reef in that 50 years.. at least we got chillers and fan to cool them..

we can still try to make it comfortable for corals in our tanks but we can't make any better of our ruined environment..

[jas_soh]

i think one of the culprits are us.so how? stop reefing and stick to FW tank? i see potentail business in fake corals.....

i kinda agree with you. esp among us some of us may have killed some corals and fishes along the way due to inexperience or lack of knowledge, and even more died during the transportation from the harvesting seas to the LFS and some at the LFS itself.

even with the chillers n other cooling gadgets, no where is better den home for the corals and fishes.

[RockyBoy]

That's why we have to start colonising Mars....