[Coral-List] SPAM R2: coral reefs and climate change: new article

[Julian]

In reference to Doug's article, this is an unscientific personal
observation, but related. I lived on Tioman island, off Malaysia's east
coast for six years running a dive centre, diving at least twice a day for
most of the year. I was a regular visitor for the two years before I moved
there and continued to  dive regularly for a further three years after
leaving the island, so I have about 11 years of observation. No data,
though. 

The variation in water temperature for most of those years followed an
annual pattern (again, personal observation, no information from
dataloggers, etc) which began at around 27 degrees centrigrade in Jan/Feb -
end of monsoon season, rising to a maximum of around 29 degrees in the
"summer" months and then falling back to 27 degrees by about November as
monsoon reappeared. All data from my dive computer (which has been the same
for the entire period), but as everyone knows there is variation between
computers. 

I have dived there much less frequently in the last three years but I have
been informed that temperature variations do follow broadly the same pattern
but with greater variability in onset-end of monsoon season, and slightly
wider temperature variation.

Two weeks ago I dived two sites that I am very familiar with in Tioman. At
both sites water temperature was 30 degrees (as measured on the same dive
computer) but there were no signs of bleaching. Perhaps a few colonies of
both branching and massive corals were a little pale, but nothing white.

Given that they have been sitting in warm water for a few weeks, is it
possible that these corals might be acclimatising to the slightly higher
temperature? Is it possible that this recent period of warmer than normal
water - but not yet bleaching temperature - will increase their chance of
survival in the coming weeks as the Pacific bleaching heads back west,
according to NOAA predictions?

If anyone is interested, our Tioman Field Station can now provide somewhat
more scientific observation capabilities than my own personal observations,
including better temperature and condition (bleaching) monitoring. Feel free
to contact us if you want more information on the situation in Tioman.

Regards

Julian Hyde
General Manager
Reef Check Malaysia
+60 3 2161 5948
www.reefcheck.org.my
Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rcmalaysia

HEARD A FISH BOMB? TEXT US AT 011 2532 7368 WITH DATE, TIME AND LOCATION!


-----Original Message-----
From: coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
[mailto:coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov] On Behalf Of Douglas Fenner
Sent: Friday, 13 November, 2015 10:41 AM
To: coral list
Subject: SPAM R2: [Coral-List] coral reefs and climate change: new article

Spalding and Brown.  Warm-water coral reefs and climate change.

http://www.sciencemag.org/content/350/6262/769.full?utm_campaign=email-sci-t
oc&et_rid=17045989&et_cid=89899

Science Nov 13, 2015

Open-access.

Cheers, Doug

-- 
Douglas Fenner
Consultant, corals, coral reefs, coral identification
"have regulator, will travel"
PO Box 7390
Pago Pago, American Samoa 96799  USA

phone 1 684 622-7084

Join the International Society for Reef Studies.  Membership includes a
subscription to the journal Coral Reefs, and there are discounts for pdf
subscriptions and developing countries.  Check it out!  www.fit.edu/isrs/

"Belief in climate change is optional, participation is not."- Jim Beever.
  "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not to their own facts."-
Daniel Patrick Moynihan.

Exxon and probably other fossil fuel companies have long known that global
warming is real and mostly caused by humans, because their own scientists
did some of the earliest good studies that showed it was true.  But they
decided to fund a denial campaign to protect their profits, which has
worked very well.

http://www.democracynow.org/2015/10/21/prison_for_exxon_execs_calls_grow?utm
_source=Democracy+Now%21&utm_campaign=c6b4701477-Daily_Digest&utm_medium=ema
il&utm_term=0_fa2346a853-c6b4701477-191096773

http://www.ucsusa.org/global-warming/fight-misinformation/climate-deception-
dossiers-fossil-fuel-industry-memos#.VjRnorerTIU

Climate change could cost trillions more in damage, because of thawing
Arctic permafrost.   (a mere $3-166 Trillion, while even without Arctic
warming, climate change is estimated to cost $326 Trillion globally.  The
entire world economy is only about $72-85 Trillion a year.)

http://news.sciencemag.org/climate/2015/09/climate-change-could-cost-trillio
ns-more-damages-because-thawing-arctic-permafrost?utm_campaign=email-news-la
test

website:  http://independent.academia.edu/DouglasFenner

blog: http://ocean.si.edu/blog/reefs-american-samoa-story-hope
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