[Coral-List] Teaching resources for island schools?
Catherine Naum
c_naum at yahoo.com
Thu Sep 23 22:17:18 EDT 2010
Kate,
Last year, Coral Watch produced a great topical resource that could be used for upper level students titled 'Coral Reefs and Climate Change.' It includes an activity CD with complementary resources and activities. See: http://www.coralwatch.org/web/guest/home1
Maybe this would be useful?
Best of luck!
Catherine Naum
PhD Candidate
School of Education, DG258-102
James Cook University
Townsville QLD 4811
Australia
Ph: (07) 4781 4637 (GMT+10hrs)
Fax: (07) 4781 5699
Mobile: 0404 228 744
--- On Thu, 9/23/10, coral-list-request at coral.aoml.noaa.gov <coral-list-request at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> wrote:
From: coral-list-request at coral.aoml.noaa.gov <coral-list-request at coral.aoml..noaa.gov>
Subject: Coral-List Digest, Vol 25, Issue 22
To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
Date: Thursday, September 23, 2010, 7:31 AM
Send Coral-List mailing list submissions to
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Today's Topics:
1. Re: Teaching resources for island schools? (DeeVon Quirolo)
2. PhD OPPORTUNITY IN CORAL BLEACHING AND OCEAN ACIDIFICATION
BIOGEOCHEMISTRY (Andrea Grottoli)
3. Winter 2010 Field Course in Coral Reef Ecology (Caribbean of
Panama) (Carlos G. A. Ormond)
4. Chagos MR and Mauritius (tim ecott)
5. Coral Reef Curmudgeons (Eugene Shinn)
6. Scientists are not afraid to speak out! (Les Kaufman)
7. NOAA Press Release: Coral Bleaching Likely in Caribbean This
Year (Dr. C. Mark Eakin)
8. Re: NY Times: Extreme Heat Puts Coral Reefs at Risk
(Dr. C. Mark Eakin)
9. Re: NY Times: Extreme Heat Puts Coral Reefs at Risk
(Bruno, John F)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 2010 10:49:44 -0400
From: DeeVon Quirolo <dquirolo at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Teaching resources for island schools?
To: Kate Wilson <kayt888 at hotmail.com>
Cc: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
Message-ID:
<AANLkTimqf8qwernT0mXooLpOPgu3-mQuOnusaw85M-Eg at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Check out www.reefrelieffounders.com. In the Educational Materials
section, you'll find several teacher guides. a coral reef guides for kids of
all ages, and many other free tools.
Best, DeeVon
On Wed, Sep 22, 2010 at 3:51 AM, Kate Wilson <kayt888 at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> Dear Coral List,
> Could anyone recommend a good textbook to introduce or give an overview of
> coral reef processes for high school children? I am soon to be working as a
> marine biologist at a resort in the Maldives, and am hoping to set up a reef
> educational program in the local schools there.
> I have found the following websites useful:
> http://www.coral.org/resources/education-materials
> http://www.livelearn.org/resources/manuals.asp
> http://www.reefvid.org/
>
> Any suggestions of other links to teaching resources will be greatly
> appreciated (high school and/or primary).
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Kate
> _______________________________________________
> Coral-List mailing list
> Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list
>
--
DeeVon Quirolo
You must be the change you want to see in the world.
Mahatma Gandhi
Indian political and spiritual leader (1869 - 1948)
We can do no great things; only small things with great love.
Mother Theresa
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 2010 13:50:14 -0400
From: Andrea Grottoli <grottoli.1 at osu.edu>
Subject: [Coral-List] PhD OPPORTUNITY IN CORAL BLEACHING AND OCEAN
ACIDIFICATION BIOGEOCHEMISTRY
To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
Message-ID: <7.0.1.0.2.20100922134542.0247bb60 at osu.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
PhD GRADUATE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY IN CORAL BLEACHING AND OCEAN
ACIDIFICATION BIOGEOCHEMISTRY at The Ohio State University
Desired (but not required) qualifications:
- MSc in Marine Science, Geology, Biology, or any physical
science. Exceptional applicants without an MSc will also be considered.
- Experience in isotope biogeochemistry, organic chemistry, or
relevant coursework
- Tropical fieldwork experience or coral aquaculture experience
- The successful candidate must be accepted into the graduate program
in the School of Earth Sciences at The Ohio State University
The position starts in September 2011 and includes four years of
support. Please submit applications electronically by following the
instructions at http://www.earthsciences.osu.edu/students_grad.php.
Indicate that you would like to study with Dr. Grottoli in your
application. In addition, send a complete copy of your application
materials as a single .pdf file to Dr. Andrea G. Grottoli at
grottoli.1 at osu.edu (Note: File should contain copy of your research
statement, a cover letter, resume, GRE scores, the names and contact
information of three references, and a list of relevant course with
grades). Please indicate "Graduate student application" in the
subject line. For more information on Dr. Grottoli's research
program, please visit http://www.earthsciences.osu.edu/~grottoli.1.
Application deadline is 5 January 2011. OSU is an equal
opportunity/affirmative action employer.
*******************************************************
Andrea G. Grottoli, Associate Professor
Ohio State University
School of Earth Sciences
125 South Oval Mall
Columbus, OH 43210
office: 614-292-5782
lab: 614-292-7415
cell: 215-990-9736
fax: 614-292-7688
email: grottoli.1 at osu.edu
Grottoli webpage: www.earthsciences.osu.edu/~grottoli.1/
Fieldwork Micro-blog: www.twitter.com/CoralResearch
Stable Isotope Biogeochemistry Laboratory (SIB Lab):
www.earthsciences.osu.edu/~grottoli.1/SIB_Lab.html
SES seminars: www.earthsciences.osu.edu/seminars.php
Office location: 329 Mendenhall Labs
*******************************************************
------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 2010 10:57:27 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Carlos G. A. Ormond" <cormond at sfu.ca>
Subject: [Coral-List] Winter 2010 Field Course in Coral Reef Ecology
(Caribbean of Panama)
To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
Message-ID:
<884269202.465609.1285178247349.JavaMail.root at jaguar10.sfu.ca>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
2010 WINTER COURSE ANNOUNCEMENT (December 20th- January 9th)
FIELD COURSE IN CORAL REEF ECOLOGY (Caribbean of Panama)
http://www.itec-edu.org/coral6.html
LOCATION: The field courses will take place at the Institute for Tropical Ecology and Conservation (ITEC) Bocas del Toro Biological Station, Boca del Drago, Isla Colon, Bocas del Toro, Panama: http://www.itec-edu.org/index..html
The Bocas del Toro ("mouths of the bull") Biological Station is located on the north end of Isla Col?n in an area known as Boca del Drago ("mouth of the dragon"). Isla Col?n is the northern-most of five large islands and hundreds of smaller ones that form the Bocas del Toro Archipelago. Set in Almirante Bay on the Caribbean side of western Panama, this collection of islands is sometimes referred to as the "Galapagos of Central America". This is because, after having been isolated for 10,000 years by geologic activity, each of the islands has evolved its own unique biota. Taking its name from Christopher Columbus who sailed into this region in 1502, Isla Col?n is approximately 14 km long and 7 km wide. Isla Col?n is composed primarily of limestone, and has a hilly topography supporting primary and secondary tropical rain forest. This island has a 5 km beach (Bluff Beach) on its east side, mangroves on its west side, and caves in the interior. Marine
habitats include extensive
turtle grass beds, hard and soft coral reefs, beaches, rocky intertidals, mangrove forests and estuaries.
Isla Col?n has the highest human population in the archipelago, with most individuals living in the town of Bocas del Toro located on the far side of the island from our facility. Besides being biologically diverse, the region is also culturally diverse with a mix of Latin American, Afro-Caribbean and indigenous Ng?be. Spanish is the official language but English is spoken.. Many Ng?be speak only their native dialect. There are only two roads on the island, both originating in the town of Bocas. One road travels along the eastern margin of the island to Bluff Beach and the other cuts through the island's interior to Boca del Drago, where our facility is located.
INSTRUCTOR: Carlos Gustavo A. Ormond, Simon Fraser University; Conservation Science Institute; Coalici?n por los Tiburones (Shark Coalition), email: cormond at sfu.ca; Elizabeth McGinty (TA), University of Texas at Arlington, email: mcginty at uta.edu
COURSE LENGTH AND SCHEDULE: Winter field courses are three weeks in length (December 20th- January 9th).
TUITION: $1650 USD. Tuition fee includes all room and board, local transportation and a three-day field trip to the Boquete cloud forest on Panama?s mainland.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: November 20, 2010. Since registration is limited to 10 students, we recommend those interested to contact the Carlos in order for him to be aware of your application.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course is designed to promote the desire for not only discovery and advanced understanding of coral reef ecosystems from an integrated ecological perspective but also an appreciation and understanding of the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) culture. In addition to learning coral reef ecosystem dynamics, organism identification, and experimental design, this course will also investigate human dimensions in coral reef ecosystems, both past and present. To compliment the course and for the pure enjoyment of learning a new language, students will be taught a ?Spanish for Survival? at the beginning of the session.
By taking an integrated multidisciplinary approach, this course will demonstrate the importance of melding traditional approaches to understanding and investigating coral reef ecosystems with the human dimension. A large component of the course will involve field work, complimented by lectures and discussions on daily course readings. The course will require the completion of group assignments, as well as an individual research project that may be as much sociological as it is ecological in theory. Therefore, the course will not only be of interest to those of you in the natural sciences but also those of you from the social sciences.
General Topics
? Spanish Language
? Environmental History and Cultural Anthropology of Panama
? Coral Reef Formation and Oceanography
? Coral Reef Ecology
? Sampling Methods
? Research Design
? Present State of Coral Reefs
? Coral Reef Conservation issues
? Human Rights and the Environment in Latin America
? Global Environmental Governance
NOTE: Dive certification is not necessary to enroll in this course, but what is required is an attraction to the ocean and a comfort in being in it. All students will require snorkel equipment (mask and fins) and those with SCUBA certification are expected to bring their own BCD, regulator, and most importantly proof of certification. There is the possibility of renting dive equipment as well as receiving dive certification from the local dive shops. If this is something that interests you, please contact Carlos for more information.
COURSE CREDIT: Up to six units of credit will be granted for these courses. Credit must be arranged by the student through his/her academic advisor and university. Contact ITEC for details.
CONTACT: Institute for Tropical Ecology and Conservation (ITEC); 1023 SW 2nd Ave., Gainesville, FL 32601; phn: 352-367-9128, fax: 352-367-0610, email:itec at itec-edu.org., or Carlos Gustavo A. Ormond cormond at sfu.ca. Please visit us on the web at www.itec-edu.org. ITEC is a Non-profit (501c3) organization.
* Aunque esta clase est? presentada en ingl?s, si sos hispanoparlante y est?s interesado/a en tomar esta clase sobre los arrecifes de coral por favor comun?cate conmigo, Carlos Gustavo A. Ormond
------------------------------
Message: 4
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 2010 16:19:30 +0000
From: tim ecott <timecott at hotmail.com>
Subject: [Coral-List] Chagos MR and Mauritius
To: <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
Message-ID: <SNT132-w563DC1E0E2D3864E9D4765D6600 at phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Subject: RE: Chagos MPA and Mauritius
Would anyone who has done any reef research in Mauritius care to share their input on the likely results of Mauritius being given responsibility for the management of so-called 'eco-hotels' in Chagos? Or on the track record of Mauritius in managing it's own natural resources? Having spent twenty plus years travelling and working in Seychelles, Mauritius, Madagascar and Comoros as well as the littoral nations of the SW Indian Ocean I am amazed that anyone would suggest voluntarily handing over anything remotely 'natural' to the safekeeping of the Mauritian government. The evidence for sustainability, ecological responsibility and marine management does simply not exist. I am afraid the time for keeing quiet about these matters is at an end and whilst it may seem politically incorrect to name and shame there are clear indicators out there as to who should and should not be entrusted with the most important ecological reserve in the region - and one of the
most significant coral
reserves worldwide.
Tim Ecott is the author of
Neutral Buoyancy: Adventures in a Liquid World (Penguin) and
Vanilla: Travels in Search of the Luscious Substance (Penguin)
Stealing Water (Sceptre)
> From: coral-list-request at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> Subject: Coral-List Digest, Vol 25, Issue 21
> To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> Date: Wed, 22 Sep 2010 12:00:02 -0400
>
> Send Coral-List mailing list submissions to
> coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
>
> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
> http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list
> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
> coral-list-request at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
>
> You can reach the person managing the list at
> coral-list-owner at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
>
> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
> than "Re: Contents of Coral-List digest..."
>
>
> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Re: Coral Reef Curmudgeons (Ulf Erlingsson)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Wed, 22 Sep 2010 10:15:00 -0400
> From: Ulf Erlingsson <ceo at lindorm.com>
> Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Coral Reef Curmudgeons
> To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> Message-ID: <7034DBDB-BE20-4990-953F-21FAE0F3AC38 at lindorm.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed
>
> This is not about coral, but it is crucial for the future of science.
>
> How shall we evaluate research?
>
> Already the old Greeks knew that it was the message, not the
> messenger, that we shall pay attention to. So how comes that so many
> today focus on where the message comes from? It is and remains
> irrelevant.
>
> The fact is that scientists depend on funding, and funding is not
> results-neutral in many cases. Thus, the bias is more likely to be in
> what scientific inquiry is carried out (or not carried out), than in
> the results that are published. If we disregard results from a
> certain sector a priori, we are back to the Dark Ages...
>
> All results have to be critically evaluated based on merits, without
> regard for who wrote it.
>
>
> On 2010-09-21, at 13:14, Dr. Elaine M. Abusharbain wrote:
>
> > Dear Coral Listers,
> > I am not a biological or coral reef scientist, but as I science
> > educator
> > I see these problems as important in science ed. Are American
> > Enterprise
> > Institute scientists really scientists? They were funded $ 23
> > million by
> > Exxon to produce climate change science. Is this stuff peer reviewed
> > when it comes from a think tank? I don't think so. The public sees
> > scientists with PhD's doing research and considers it valid science.
> > How can you blame the public for not understanding this subtle but
> > huge
> > difference? Yet who is on NPR just about every day posing as a
> > reputable
> > view on all kinds of matters including climate change.
> > Scientists have produced NAS, IPPC etc reports, years ago. In my
> > dealings with nonbiology majors in college and most biology majors,
> > they
> > are unaware of these kinds of influences nor the scientific reports
> > even
> > though they understand the importance of peer review.
> > There is much to educate about and not enough science educators out
> > there who take on the charge. Our media is very controlled if even
> > biology students are unaware of these kinds of reports (until they
> > take
> > ecology of course and many won't)
> > Thanks, I am on the list to become educated in coral science.... so I
> > usually keep to myself.
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> Coral-List mailing list
> Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list
>
> End of Coral-List Digest, Vol 25, Issue 21
> ******************************************
------------------------------
Message: 5
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 2010 09:31:23 -0400
From: Eugene Shinn <eshinn at marine.usf.edu>
Subject: [Coral-List] Coral Reef Curmudgeons
To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
Message-ID: <a0623090bc8bfb508d45f@[131.247.137.127]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"
Here is something that tends to support Phil Dustans point of view in
his posting. Gene
<http://www.galileowaswrong.com/galileowaswrong/>http://www.galileowaswrong..com/galileowaswrong/
--
No Rocks, No Water, No Ecosystem (EAS)
------------------------------------ -----------------------------------
E. A. Shinn, Courtesy Professor
University of South Florida
Marine Science Center (room 204)
140 Seventh Avenue South
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
<eshinn at marine.usf.edu>
Tel 727 553-1158----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
------------------------------
Message: 6
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 2010 19:17:03 -0400
From: Les Kaufman <lesk at bu.edu>
Subject: [Coral-List] Scientists are not afraid to speak out!
To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
Message-ID: <1065F8C1-3D30-45FF-BAEA-E0816CA9CD88 at bu.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Re: Ulf Erlingsson's comment On Sep 21, 2010, at 6:48 AM, "Steve, after the experience many had in the global warming debate (being vilified or even demonized for having a different opinion) I think most scientists have learned by now that one cannot say things that are not PC, no matter how true or important they are..."
Ulf and everybody, scientists can and frequently do speak from the top of whatever hill of evidence that they wish, PC or no. There may be consequences but the result does move society, even if the straightjackets of history and greed may force this movement to be with a hobbled, stilting gait.. The so-called "Climategate" incident is an isolated case in a sea of examples where careful, clear language spoken by scientists on the climate issue have hit home and changed behavior. That behavior happens not to have changed quickly enough to avoid a major rewrite of the biosphere is unfortunate, but not unexpected. If it is quickly enough to stem the full magnitude of human suffering that will otherwise occur, then it is still not too late to have been of worth.
Les
Les Kaufman
Professor of Biology
Boston University Marine Program
and
Senior Marine Scientist
Conservation International
------------------------------
Message: 7
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 2010 13:40:08 -1000
From: "Dr. C. Mark Eakin" <Mark.Eakin at noaa.gov>
Subject: [Coral-List] NOAA Press Release: Coral Bleaching Likely in
Caribbean This Year
To: Coral Listserver Listserver <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
Message-ID: <00115006-E28E-43B7-818E-960A981E9910 at noaa.gov>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252
full press release with graphics available at:
http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2010/20100922_coralbleaching.html
NOAA: Coral Bleaching Likely in Caribbean This Year
September 22, 2010
According to the NOAA Coral Reef Watch monitoring system, coral bleaching is likely in the Caribbean in 2010. With temperatures above-average all year, NOAA?s models show a strong potential for bleaching in the southern and southeastern Caribbean through October that could be as severe as in 2005 when over 80 percent of corals bleached and over 40 percent died at many sites across the Caribbean. Scientists are already reporting coral bleaching at several Caribbean sites and severe bleaching has been reported from other parts of the world.
The NOAA Coral Reef Watch (CRW) satellite coral bleaching monitoring shows sea surface temperatures continue to remain above-average throughout the wider Caribbean region. Large areas of the southeastern Caribbean Sea are experiencing thermal stress capable of causing coral bleaching. The western Gulf of Mexico and the southern portion of the Bahamas have also experienced significant bleaching thermal stress. The CRW Coral Bleaching Thermal Stress Outlook indicates that the high stress should continue to develop in the southern and southeast Caribbean until mid-October. Prolonged coral bleaching, can lead to coral death and the subsequent loss of coral reef habitats for a range of marine life.
?The early warning predictions of NOAA?s CRW program are vital to assist coral reef managers in making early preparations for coral bleaching events,? says Billy Causey, southeast regional director for NOAA?s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. ?While managers can?t do anything immediately to prevent coral bleaching, these early warnings give them time to monitor and track the stressful event, thus learning more about both direct and secondary impacts of bleaching on coral reefs around the world.?
The decline and loss of coral reefs has significant social, cultural, economic and ecological impacts on people and communities in the Caribbean, the United States, Australia and throughout the world. As the ?rainforests of the sea,? coral reefs provide services estimated to be worth as much as $375 billion globally each year.
?High temperatures cause corals to force out the symbiotic algae that provide them with food. This makes the corals appear white or 'bleached' and can increase outbreaks of infectious disease,? said Mark Eakin, Ph.D., coordinator of NOAA?s Coral Reef Watch. ?Temperatures are high in the Caribbean, and we expect this to continue. This season has the potential to be one of the worst bleaching seasons for some reefs.?
?A NOAA survey cruise just returned from the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary where we saw serious bleaching,? said Emma Hickerson, sanctuary research coordinator for the site, located off the coasts of Texas and Louisiana. ?Several species were bleached and we are concerned we could lose much of the fire corals this year.?
Even though a variety of stresses ? namely thermal stresses ? continue to rise in the Caribbean basin, temperatures are expected to begin cooling in the Gulf of Mexico and Florida. In addition, recent hurricanes and tropical storms that passed near the U.S. Virgin Islands have cooled the waters there. NOAA researchers have shown that tropical weather systems can cool the high temperatures that cause bleaching, and NOAA forecasts that this Atlantic hurricane season will probably be more active than usual.
In 2005, the year of the worst bleaching on record in the Caribbean, no tropical storms passed close enough to cool the Virgin Islands, resulting in 90 percent of the area corals being bleached and 60 percent dying. Overall the 2005 bleaching event was the result of the largest, most intense thermal stress recorded in the Caribbean during the 25-year NOAA satellite record.
NOAA?s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/usnoaagov.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
301-502-8608 mobile
?Men and nature must work hand in hand. The throwing out of balance of the resources of nature throws out of balance also the lives of men.?
? President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, January 24, 1935
------------------------------
Message: 8
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 2010 13:46:08 -1000
From: "Dr. C. Mark Eakin" <Mark.Eakin at noaa.gov>
Subject: Re: [Coral-List] NY Times: Extreme Heat Puts Coral Reefs at
Risk
To: "Bruno, John F" <jbruno at unc.edu>
Cc: "coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov" <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
Message-ID: <5DC10462-830D-4AF8-9E15-DB3E7B5A9B45 at noaa.gov>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Actually, John, it merely shows that they did not refer to it properly as the El Nino of 2009-10. Because El Nino events span two years, 2010 is an El Nino year in the same way that 1998 was: year 2 of an El Nino event. Also like 1998, it is the first year of what we expect to be a significant La Nina. If it holds, it will be the 2010-2011 La Nina.
There is strong statistical evidence and a physical basis that the Caribbean normally warms in the second year of El Nino events.
Cheers,
Mark
On Sep 21, 2010, at 1:29 AM, Bruno, John F wrote:
> Note the striking error in the story in falsely stating that 2010 is an EL Nino year (thus implying we are currently in an El Nino phase):
>
> "Drastic die-offs of coral were seen for the first time in 1983 in the eastern Pacific and the Caribbean, during a large-scale weather event known as El Nino. During an El Nino, warm waters normally confined to the western Pacific flow to the east; 2010 is also an El Nino year."
>
> We were indeed still in El Nino during the beginning of 2010, however, we are now firmly in a La Nina phase of ENSO and have been since May: http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/index.shtml
>
> The error goes beyond simply misreporting the oceanographic facts, it causes Justin to entirely miss the significance of the event: unlike past warming/mass-bleaching events in the Indo-Pacific and Caribbean, this time it is happening during a La Nina and is thus obviously not caused by a natural El Nino (perhaps exacerbated by background warming), i.e., this time the pattern is more concordant with the argument that the observed warming is related to anthropogenic climate change.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> John
>
> John F. Bruno, Ph.D.
> Associate Professor
> Department of Marine Science
> The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
> jbruno at unc.edu
> www.brunolab.net
>
> President & Lead Scientist
> The Blue Carbon Project
> www.thebluecarbonproject.com
>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
301-502-8608 mobile
"The danger posed by climate change cannot be denied. Our responsibility to meet it must not be deferred."
Barack Obama, Sep. 23 2009
------------------------------
Message: 9
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 2010 22:22:01 -0400
From: "Bruno, John F" <jbruno at unc.edu>
Subject: Re: [Coral-List] NY Times: Extreme Heat Puts Coral Reefs at
Risk
To: "Dr. C. Mark Eakin" <Mark.Eakin at noaa.gov>,
"coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov" <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
Message-ID: <5DE9C540-B246-4497-95A4-044218754A10 at unc.edu>
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Hi Mark,
> Actually, John, it merely shows that they did not refer to it properly as the El Nino of 2009-10. Because El Nino events span two years, 2010 is an El Nino year in the same way that 1998 was: year 2 of an El Nino event. Also like 1998, it is the first year of what we expect to be a significant La Nina. If it holds, it will be the 2010-2011 La Nina.
No, I think this may mean more than that. I am not quibbling about semantics. If you think it makes sense to label 2010 an El Nino year when we've been in La Nina since May, well that's your prerogative. My point is that we are in a La Nina and yet we are still seeing very significant large scale warming in several regions including two or three tropical reef regions. I think this is significant.
To get more technical about it, the negative temp. anomalies for both SST and subsurface temp. across the eastern and central equatorial Pacific have been running 1.5 to 2 C cool for 3-4 months and yet as you have pointed out to us all, there are concurrent high temp. anomalies (1-2 C) in the western Pacific (coral triangle region), Caribbean and S. Central Pacific, despite the presence of a range of La Nina indicators. I think this is noteworthy. First, because this is what Ove H-G and others have been predicting was going to happen (more frequent large scale events even during non-El Nino phases). Second, because it strengthens the case for attributing such tropical warming and mass bleaching to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. Such attribution was/is difficult if the mass bleaching only takes place during El Nino. We all know the two arguments for making such attribution to 95, 98 and 05 were that (a) Anthropogenic Climate Change
(ACC) has increased the intensi
ty of El Nino and (b) that ACC raised the background temperature so that El Nino high temp. anomalies are that much higher. Both explanations are plausible and are not mutually exclusive, however, (a) is problematic because the theory does not clearly support the expectation that ACC will intensify ENSO and because there has not been an obvious increase in ENSO intensity (but please note I am not rejecting this hypothesis) and (b) is weakened by the fact that we don't and can't know how high the recent El Nino highs would have been in the absence of ACC.
I am arguing this is a significant event for our community as it substantially increases our confidence* in attributing mass coral bleaching to ACC (believe me, such rigorous quantitative attribution is very difficult). In other words, skeptics can no longer say "it's just the natural ENSO cycle" which they frequently do. Hypothesis (b) indeed predicts that we will eventually start seeing ecologically significant high anomalies even during La Nina, which we are. Get it now?!
*or at least it will if it all plays out as expected; we will know in a month or two.
>
> There is strong statistical evidence and a physical basis that the Caribbean normally warms in the second year of El Nino events.
>
Don't confuse the second El Nino summer of a two El Nino summer ENSO with the La Nina summer following an El Nino. I.e., your point doesn't apply to the situation we have now. The El Nino is long gone and we are in La Nina.. By your argument, we would have seen warming/mass bleaching during 1996, 1999 and 2006: we obviously didn't. During all three of those events, the major warming and bleaching happened during the El Nino summer, not during the following La Nina summer. Think about 98: the northern hemisphere mass bleaching mostly took place during the northern hemisphere summer (~ July - Oct) when we were still in El Nino, and not 4 or 5 months into the following La Nina or in July - Oct 99. Likewise on the GBR, the mass bleaching was in March/April 98 not March/April 99 (~ 5-6 months into the La Nina).
Instead of going to the new coral reef curmudgeon site, maybe we can continue this on facebook:)
BTW, I really enjoyed your excellent and very informative webcast on all this.
With love and respect.
John
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