[Coral-List] Cooling Reefs
Shelby Boyer
sboyer at mlml.calstate.edu
Tue Jan 6 14:32:16 EST 2009
Hi all,
While cooling of the reefs would undoubtedly reduce thermal stress on the
reef, the detrimental effects of nutrient loading in an oligotrophic system
should not be ignored. Changes in nutrient regimes have been found across
the globe to cause shifts from coral dominated systems to macroalgal
communities. These types of algae are the biggest space competitors for
corals and are often only limited by nutrients. I agree with Mark that it's
not just identifying the problems but using science to solve them. One
potential resolution to side effects of high nutrient loads being dumped on
the reefs would be some kind of algal filtration system. Algae have been
shown to successfully filter nutrients out of water for large scale
aquaculture purposes. Perhaps other avenues of bioremidiation could be
explored for the pH and hydrogen sulfide threats.
Shelby E. Boyer
Moss Landing Marine Laboratories
8272 Moss Landing Rd.
Moss Landing, CA 95039
On Tue, Jan 6, 2009 at 9:00 AM, <coral-list-request at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>wrote:
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> Today's Topics:
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> 1. Fwd: Bush Designates 3 Areas of Pacific as Marine National
> Monuments (Mark Eakin)
> 2. Re: Cooling reefs to prevent bleaching (Mark Eakin)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:25:51 -0500
> From: Mark Eakin <Mark.Eakin at noaa.gov>
> Subject: [Coral-List] Fwd: Bush Designates 3 Areas of Pacific as
> Marine National Monuments
> To: Coral Listserver Listserver <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
> Message-ID: <E93E5150-38C8-4E16-A7B3-B231FDE57689 at noaa.gov>
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>
> > Washingtonpost.com:
> >
> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/05/AR2009010501181.html?hpid=moreheadlines
> >
> > Bush Designates 3 Areas of Pacific as Marine National Monuments
> > By Juliet Eilperin
> > Washington Post Staff Writer
> > Monday, January 5, 2009; 12:54 PM
> > President Bush will create three new marine national monuments in
> > the Pacific Ocean Tuesday, according to White House spokeswoman Dana
> > Perino, designated areas that will span 195,280 square miles and
> > protect some of the most ecologically-rich areas of the world's
> > oceans.
> > The decision to make the designations under the Antiquities Act,
> > coming just two weeks before Bush leaves office, means that he will
> > have protected more square miles of ocean than any person in
> > history. In 2006 Bush created the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National
> > Monument in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, an area of 138,000
> > square miles.
> > Two of the areas encompass a region known as the Line Islands, a
> > relatively isolated and uninhabited string of islands in the central
> > Pacific. The third area, in the western Pacific, includes the waters
> > around a few islands in the northern Marianas chain and the Mariana
> > Trench, the deepest ocean canyon in the world.
> > Both regions boast enormous biodiversity: Kingman Reef and other
> > islands in the central Pacific area teem with sharks and other top
> > predators as well as vibrant, healthy corals; the Mariana Trench and
> > its nearby islands are home to several species of rare beaked whales
> > and the Micronesian megapode -- an endangered bird that uses the
> > heat from volcanic vents to incubate its eggs -- and also boast mud
> > volcanoes, pools of boiling sulfur and the greatest microbial
> > diversity on Earth.
> > "The president's actions will prevent the destruction and extraction
> > of natural resources from these beautiful and biologically-diverse
> > areas without conflicting with our military's activities and freedom
> > of navigation, which are vital to our national security," Perino
> > said. "And the public and future generations with benefit from
> > science and knowledge. The President has a strong eight-year record
> > of ocean conservation, and these new designated protected areas will
> > comprise the largest area of ocean set aside as marine protected
> > areas in the world."
> > While not all areas within the designated monuments will be fully
> > protected -- slightly less than 60 percent of the total will be
> > subject to prohibitions on fishing and other extractive activities
> > -- environmentalists praised Bush for the move.
> > "With the designation of these new marine monuments in the Marianas
> > Islands, American Samoa and the western pacific, George Bush has
> > ushered in a new era of ocean conservation in the United States and
> > the world at large," said Josh Reichert, managing director of the
> > Pew Environment Group. "It has taken 137 years, since the creation
> > of America's first national park in Yellowstone in 1872, to
> > recognize that unique areas of the world's oceans deserve the same
> > kind of protection as we have afforded similar places on land. And
> > none too soon."
> >
> >
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> C. Mark Eakin, Ph.D.
> Coordinator, NOAA Coral Reef Watch
> National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
> Center for Satellite Applications and Research
> Satellite Oceanography & Climate Division
> e-mail: mark.eakin at noaa.gov
> url: coralreefwatch.noaa.gov
>
> E/RA31, SSMC1, Room 5308
> 1335 East West Hwy
> Silver Spring, MD 20910-3226
> 301-713-2857 x109 Fax: 301-713-3136
>
> "Now is the time to confront [the climate change] challenge once and
> for all. Delay is no longer an option.
> Denial is no longer an acceptable response. The stakes are too high.
> The consequences, too serious."
> President-Elect Barack Obama, Nov. 18 2008
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:46:30 -0500
> From: Mark Eakin <Mark.Eakin at noaa.gov>
> Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Cooling reefs to prevent bleaching
> To: "James Cervino PhD." <jcervino at whoi.edu>
> Cc: Coral Listserver Listserver <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
> Message-ID: <B304E35C-0BCD-49ED-B2ED-8D676A78BD0F at noaa.gov>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed;
> delsp=yes
>
> James,
>
> You are absolutely right that ideas such as cooling of reefs brings
> with them disadvantages. So is your recommendation that we instead do
> nothing but watch?
>
> There is no doubt that we need to take two sets of action to deal with
> the increasing temperatures that are causing mass bleaching:
> 1) Reduce CO2 emissions, and eventually atmospheric CO2
> concentrations, to address the root cause of the problem.
> 2) Take local actions to increase reef resilience in light of thermal
> stress that will happen before we can complete work on (1).
>
> The climate system is like a big ship -- slow to stop or turn around.
> The best estimates are that we will see another 1-2 degrees C of
> temperature rise even if we all stop driving our cars, flying, running
> our computers, breathing, etc. -- right now. For that reason (1) is
> not enough by itself. (2) is also not enough by itself as we have to
> address the root cause or we will just keep applying bandages forever.
>
> In light of this, I think we have to consider things like this "crazy
> idea" to help save corals. No, we would not want to have these things
> pumping all the time for the very reasons you suggested. However, to
> have such options that we can turn on at times when bleaching is
> imminent makes a great deal of sense. Yes, the waters will have
> higher nutrients and lower pH. However, I seem to recall that you
> told me at the Ocean Sciences meeting in Orlando that you thought
> there was no sense even worrying about ocean acidification because
> high temperatures were going to kill the corals first. If that is
> true, shouldn't we be doing everything we can to turn down the heat
> when it is at its worst?
>
> I have no vested interest in cooling reefs, shading reefs, or swapping
> strains of zooxanthellae. Ideas like this cooling system may be
> exactly what we need when conditions are so bad that a bit of
> nutrients and CO2 are the least of our worries. Yes, it has some
> downsides, but it may keep the corals alive if it is handled
> properly. Ditto for ideas of enhancing corals' abilities to withstand
> high temperatures. "Crazy ideas" like these must be embarked on with
> great care. However, to throw them out and do nothing would be like
> fiddling while Rome burns. I'd rather grab a fire hose.
>
> Cheers,
> Mark
>
>
>
> On Dec 21, 2008, at 10:12 AM, James Cervino PhD. wrote:
>
> > Dr Quenton- Brings up serious flaws in the way in which how
> > information is
> > interpreted by the masses. Here is another example of how political
> > leaders,
> > journalists and the masses think that corals can be saved by a
> > company thereby
> > implementing a "cooling system" New Scientist" 2008, to protect and
> > save reefs!
> >
> > The Cooling System
> > An idea by Atmocean Inc. has developed a simple pumping system for
> > bringing
> > cool, deep water up to the surface. They claim that we could use
> > pumps could
> > cool reefs by bringing up deep water, using only wave power.
> >
> > This is an example of the insanity, where they claim that it would
> > be feasible
> > to implement a pump that brings Cool Deep Nutrient Rich Waters to
> > the surface
> > thereby cooling reef off which will prevent them from overheating.
> >
> > What about the pH shifts? This crazy idea would speed up the acidic
> > conditions
> > and surely kill the corals and their symbioants. Corals do not have
> > the
> > cellular mechanics or " on off switches" to deal with the above water
> > chemistry.
> >
> > This theory would bring up:
> >
> > Low pH (more acidic)
> > Low O2
> > High Hydrogen Sulfide
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > *************************************
> > Dr. James M. Cervino
> > Pace University &
> > Visiting Scientist
> > Woods Hole Oceanographic Inst.
> > Department of Marine Chemistry
> > Woods Hole MA.
> > NYC Address: 9-22 119st
> > College Point NY NY 11356
> > Cell: 917-620*5287
> > ************************************
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> C. Mark Eakin, Ph.D.
> Coordinator, NOAA Coral Reef Watch
> National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
> Center for Satellite Applications and Research
> Satellite Oceanography & Climate Division
> e-mail: mark.eakin at noaa.gov
> url: coralreefwatch.noaa.gov
>
> E/RA31, SSMC1, Room 5308
> 1335 East West Hwy
> Silver Spring, MD 20910-3226
> 301-713-2857 x109 Fax: 301-713-3136
>
> "Now is the time to confront [the climate change] challenge once and
> for all. Delay is no longer an option.
> Denial is no longer an acceptable response. The stakes are too high.
> The consequences, too serious."
> President-Elect Barack Obama, Nov. 18 2008
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
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> End of Coral-List Digest, Vol 5, Issue 6
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