“no evidence of consistent, system-wide decline in coral cover since 1995

12 Responses to “no evidence of consistent, system-wide decline in coral cover since 1995

1. Jimbo says:

   June 29, 2011 at 1:12 pm

   Whatever happened to coral bleaching due to heat and acid? I thought the Great Barrier Reef was DOOMED.

   “Doom and Boom on a Resilient Reef: Climate Change, Algal Overgrowth and Coral Recovery”
   “In 2006, mass bleaching of corals on inshore reefs of the Great Barrier Reef caused high coral mortality. Here we show that this coral mortality was followed by an unprecedented bloom of a single species of unpalatable seaweed (Lobophora variegata), colonizing dead coral skeletons, but that corals on these reefs recovered dramatically, in less than a year………These mechanisms of ecological recovery included rapid regeneration rates of remnant coral tissue, very high competitive ability of the corals allowing them to out-compete the seaweed, a natural seasonal decline in the particular species of dominant seaweed, and an effective marine protected area system. Our study provides a key example of the doom and boom of a highly resilient reef, and new insights into the variability and mechanisms of reef resilience under rapid climate change.”
   http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2668766/

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2. Jimbo says:

   June 29, 2011 at 1:22 pm

   Corals like cool water. Heat makes them bleach. /sarc

   “February 25, 2010
   The influx of cold water from Florida and Biscayne bays appears to be responsible for January’s coral deaths in nearshore waters of the Florida Keys National Marine……..

   A widespread cold-water coral die-off hasn’t occurred in Florida since the late 1970s.”

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   • Jimbo says:

     June 29, 2011 at 1:32 pm

     Forgot the link:
     http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/florida/newsroom/scientific-surveys-show-extent-of-cold-impact-on-florida-keys-corals.xml

     Reply
3. Latitude says:

   June 29, 2011 at 1:28 pm

   This was one of the biggest funding scams ever………………..

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4. Jimbo says:

   June 29, 2011 at 1:30 pm

   Corals are doomed in a warming world. 😉

   “There were major periods of worldwide reef expansion (e.g. mid-Silurian-Late Devonian), corresponding to global warming well above present day norms,…….”
   http://www.springerlink.com/content/n832jt7n05086724/

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   • Latitude says:

     June 29, 2011 at 1:54 pm

     Jimbo, the whole premise of global warming, all of it, is based on convincing people that last year was normal…..
     and this year is abby-normal

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5. Michael says:

   June 29, 2011 at 2:03 pm

   I remember a highly regarded study of multiple corals which found that when protected against pollution and overfishing they can easily recover from stressor events (the most notable coral was in Royal protection zone)- its not climate change that’s the problem its the same old issues. Save the billions wasted on trying to prevent changes that happen anyway and put real protection of the world’s corals.

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   • Jimbo says:

     June 29, 2011 at 2:24 pm

     Many people think that a bleached coral is finished. Coral remnants can re-generate. If these alarmists would just let go of the c02 scam and focus on pollution, over-fishing, reduce impacts of recreational diver and boat then the reef’s resilience will come through.

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     • stevengoddard says:

       June 29, 2011 at 2:26 pm

       The Bikini atoll is thriving 50 years after a thermonuclear bomb was blown up there.

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     • Latitude says:

       June 29, 2011 at 2:37 pm

       Jimbo, the marine biology industry is responsible for that….
       …they know bleaching is a perfectly normal response

       Biggest problem is, people have no concept of how big the ocean really is.
       They have no concept of how big coral reefs really are.
       So they have no concept of how many corals there really are.

       We have a crew that cleans our dock of corals once a month.
       If we didn’t, they scratch up the gelcoat on the boats, rip anyone to shreds that’s
       in the water, and cause the concrete to deteriorate.
       and yes, that’s once a month

       What people are used to seeing is weeds….
       Acropora are the branching corals that make the pretty pictures.
       The poster coral for the green enviro wackos.
       They grow over the reef building corals and kill them.
       They have evolved to occupy a niche, no different than weeds on dry
       land.

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     • Blade says:

       June 30, 2011 at 4:16 am

       RE: Steve

       Operation Crossroads: Able, Baker and lots more Atomic Bombs.

       And of course Castle::Bravo, a double digit megaton Hydrogen Bomb.

       There is a movie called: Return to Bikini I taped off TV years ago, but I cannot seem to find at it YouTube. It documents the absolutely stunning reclaiming of the remaining islands by mother nature, albeit with some serious consequences from that Bravo shot.

       The truth is that the worst effects occurred immediately because they miscalculated the fallout pattern and extent (they also underestimated the actual power of many early tests which is very troubling).

       No matter how you feel about these shots, it is downright amazing to see what nature is capable of when left to herself. This is the most nuked spot on Earth (aside from NTS). If we built a million bombs and blew ourselves out of existence, nature would reclaim the land within a century and future alien visitors would have a hard time finding any trace that we ever existed.

       This should place the insanity about ppm of CO2 in its proper perspective. We couldn’t destroy the Earth no matter how hard we tried. Of course no-one here is suggesting we try (liberal propagandists just bugger off).

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6. Jimbo says:

   June 29, 2011 at 2:15 pm

   News just in – 3 May, 2011
   Great Barrier Reef thriving after big wet season

   Reply