Catatonic writhed in denials:

Of course corals are very adaptible and can handle change

Nope, wrong again..

http://environmentalism.suite101.com...to_save_corals

Cut Back On CO2 to Save Corals
Lowering CO2 Emissions is Vital to Protect the World’s Coral Reefs

If the world's levels of CO2 rise above 450 ppm, it will destroy coral
reef systems, a group of Australian scientists warns, after experiments
simulating its effect.

The scientists led by Dr Ken Anthony of the ARC Centre of Excellence for
Coral Reef Studies and Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Director of the
University of Queensland’s Centre for Marine Studies, set up experiments
on Heron Island on the Great Barrier Reef in Southeast Queensland,
simulating the effects of human-caused CO2 emissions and the resultant
warming and acidity of the waters around the reef.

The experiments measured the combined effects of warming, high CO2 and
sunlight on reef organisms placed in large aquariums for two to six months.

Professor Hoegh-Guldberg stressed that the combination of rising
temperatures and rising acidity from the CO2 was contributing to the damage.

“Both are very serious and will destroy coral dominated reef systems if
carbon dioxide rises above 450 ppm (parts per million)

“This [level] is one of the lower scenarios predicted by the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The two factors do not
operate on their own, and combined have a much greater impact.

“Basically, corals become much more susceptible to the effects of
temperature (bleaching, disease and mortality) when daily experiencing
acidified conditions.”
CO2's Impact On Reef Biodiversity

He warned that it would not only be coral species that would suffer from
increasing temperatures and acidity in the oceans.

“Corals are like the trees of rainforest, and provide habitat for as
many as a million species of animals, plants and protists,” Professor
Hoegh-Guldberg said.

“If you remove the corals from a coral reef, you lose the habitats and
homes of these organisms. What happens to the fish that live on coral
reefs when coral has been removed, by either mass coral bleaching or
predators such as the crown of thorns starfish, is that 50% of the
species of fish on coral reefs disappear.

“These fishes require corals for their reproduction, food and shelter.
If this is multiplied for all of the other creatures that live on coral
reefs, the losses of species from coral reefs is likely to be
catastrophic if we go into a warmer and more acidified world.”
High CO2 Levels Threaten More Than Corals

It’s not just the ocean dwellers that would suffer from levels of CO2
above 450ppm.

“It is important to realise that exceeding 450ppm CO2 in the atmosphere
will remove tropical rainforests like the Daintree, Amazon and Monte
Verde,” he warned.

“It will also destroy major wetland habitats such as Kakadu, alpine
ecosystems and a whole series of other natural ecosystems.

“With these things on the cards, life on planet Earth for humans could
become untenable.

"Any government that is contemplating emission levels that would result
in anything more than about 450 ppm, is flirting with the earth's future.”
Good Management Key to Rescuing Reefs

While the picture is grim, and he is dubious about governments’
political will to tackle global warming, there are some steps that can
be taken to minimise damage to coral reefs.

“Minimising the effects of local factors such as overfishing and poor
water quality can have a very important role in reducing the impact of
the warming and acidification of the world's oceans,” he said.

“Fishing activities cover almost every coastline throughout the tropics
and subtropics.

"While this is an important source of protein for over one billion
people, the removal of key species is causing some ecosystems to change
from coral dominated ones to those dominated by seaweeds.

“Marine pollution from chemicals and rubbish such as plastic bags play
havoc with marine organisms and ecosystems all over the world.

“Reef managers will be focusing on reducing these local stresses while
we struggle to get global emissions of CO2 under control.”

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