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Great Barrier Reef Has Died Five Times In Last 30,000 Years, Study Says (newsweek.com)
schwit1 quotes a report from Newsweek: You may well have heard that Australia's iconic Great Barrier Reef is dying as warmer and more acidic waters bleach the system's vibrant coral reefs. In fact, a heat wave killed nearly a third of the system's corals in 2016. Now, scientists writing in the journal Nature Geoscience have discovered the reef has bounced back from near-extinction five times in the last 30,000 years. The current stresses, however, are probably far more intense than those felt in the past.
Low sea levels 30,000 and 22,000 years ago killed coral by air exposure. The remaining reef shifted seaward and eventually bounced back. Rising sea levels -- like those we see today -- killed off the coral twice between 13,000 and 17,000 years ago. This time, coral inched close to land to survive. The reef system, the scientists think, migrated up to 60 inches a year in the face of a changing environment. The last of the five great die-offs occurred about 10,000 years ago, and was likely caused by a huge influx of sediment, a reduction in water quality and a general sea level rise. The reef system may be due for another die-off sometime in the next few thousand years "if it follows its past geological pattern," study author Jody Webster told AFP. "But whether human-induced climate change will hasten that death remains to be seen."
Low sea levels 30,000 and 22,000 years ago killed coral by air exposure. The remaining reef shifted seaward and eventually bounced back. Rising sea levels -- like those we see today -- killed off the coral twice between 13,000 and 17,000 years ago. This time, coral inched close to land to survive. The reef system, the scientists think, migrated up to 60 inches a year in the face of a changing environment. The last of the five great die-offs occurred about 10,000 years ago, and was likely caused by a huge influx of sediment, a reduction in water quality and a general sea level rise. The reef system may be due for another die-off sometime in the next few thousand years "if it follows its past geological pattern," study author Jody Webster told AFP. "But whether human-induced climate change will hasten that death remains to be seen."
All of these chicken littles view these changes in nature as if they are happening in a vacuum.
Nature is like a beanbag. Push here and it pops out there. One change spawns another change. Nothing is static and nature isn't in a vacuum.
Tell that to the Mammoths, Dinosaurs, and the obligate anaerobes that predated cyanobacteria.
Just because a system is resilient doesn't mean you can do whatever the hell you want to it and come out fine.
I stole this Sig
This is all fear mongering. There are reefs in the world with water FAR hotter than the great barrier reef. Despite what researchers who benefit from government funding would like you to believe, there is far from agreement that the reef is in any way in trouble.
If that's fearmongering then your post is stupidmongering.
Yes there are warmer reefs elsewhere. That doesn't mean you can magically transform the great barrier reef into a hot water reef without it first crashing badly and for a long time, and losing the huge diversity that's present there now.
I like how you layer it on with a nice chunk of anti-research and anti-government paranoia. Though it's kind of entertaining that you thing researchers do it for the money.
SJW n. One who posts facts.