[Coral-List] Objective Science?

Bill Allison allison.billiam at gmail.com
Wed Feb 8 22:45:50 EST 2012


At this time temperature seems to be the primary controlling factor. The
authors plainly expect calcium to be a limiting factor in the future.
Curious that wasn't mentioned in the abstract but I suppose it would have
decreased readership and opportunities for faux-controversy.

Here is the closing para:
"Seawater carbon chemistry is a key determinant of coral calcification, and
the potential for future anthropogenic-influenced declines in carbonate
saturation state, and hence coral calcification, is cause for serious
concern (*2*<http://www.sciencemag.org.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/content/335/6068/593.full#ref-2>,
*4*<http://www.sciencemag.org.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/content/335/6068/593.full#ref-4>,
*7*<http://www.sciencemag.org.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/content/335/6068/593.full#ref-7>).
However, we conclude that the rate of change in the thermal environment of
coral reefs is currently the primary driver of change in coral
calcification rates. Warming SSTs are resulting in (i) increased
calcification rates reported here in the southeast Indian Ocean, where
marginal reefs have taken advantage of warmer conditions, and (ii) recent
declines reported elsewhere for more typical reef environments where
thermal optima for calcification have been exceeded or resulted in setbacks
in growth as a result of thermally induced bleaching. Whether the former is
sustainable as oceans continue to warm is another question."

On Thu, Feb 9, 2012 at 3:53 AM, GlennPatton <glenn at glennpatton.com> wrote:

> FYI, A peer-reviewed study that I have not seen referenced on this list.
>
> http://www.sciencemag.org/content/335/6068/593.abstract
>
> Growth of Western Australian Corals in the Anthropocene
> Timothy F. Cooper, Rebecca A. O’Leary, Janice M. Lough
>
> Abstract
> Anthropogenic increases of atmospheric carbon dioxide lead to warmer sea
> surface temperatures and altered ocean chemistry. Experimental evidence
> suggests that coral calcification decreases as aragonite saturation drops
> but increases as temperatures rise toward thresholds optimal for coral
> growth. In situ studies have documented alarming recent declines in
> calcification rates on several tropical coral reef ecosystems. We show
> there
> is no widespread pattern of consistent decline in calcification rates of
> massive Porites during the 20th century on reefs spanning an 11°
> latitudinal
> range in the southeast Indian Ocean off Western Australia. Increasing
> calcification rates on the high-latitude reefs contrast with the downward
> trajectory reported for corals on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and
> provide
> additional evidence that recent changes in coral calcification are
> responses
> to temperature rather than ocean acidification.
>
> Other info about the study.
>
>
> http://www.sciencemag.org/content/suppl/2012/02/01/335.6068.593.DC1/Cooper.S
> OM.pdf
>
>
> http://data.aims.gov.au/metadataviewer/faces/view.xhtml?uuid=4f39c641-8450-4
> ea0-b2b6-4f3d582645f8
>
> Other references to this study.
>
> http://www.australianclimatemadness.com/2012/02/warmer-waters-good-for-coral
> -growth/
>
>
> http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=corals-more-threatened-by-t
> emperature-than-acidifying-ocean
>
> Best regards,
>
> Glenn Patton
> www.glennpatton.com
>
>
>
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> Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
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>



-- 
________________________________
Is this how science illuminates "reality"? - "the meaning of an episode was
not inside like a kernel but outside, enveloping the talk which brought it
out only as a glow brings out a haze."
- narrator's comment about Marlow's tale-telling, in Heart of Darkness
(Conrad)


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