Carbon Releases Menace Coral Reefs
Corals Could Disappear Due to Global Warming and Acidification
Increased global levels of carbon dioxide emissions and temperatures will raise levels of ocean acidification and threaten the long term survival of coral reef ecosystems
Increasing global temperatures and acidification of the ocean could spell the end of coral reefs in as little as fifty years. Scientists working in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) say corals could disappear completely in 50 to 75 years due to ocean acidification caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide emissions and warmer temperatures. Their findings were recently published in Science, a peer-reviewed professional journal.
Devastating Impacts Predicted - In a recent press release, Mark Eakin, head of NOAA's Coral Reef Watch Program says, "Our findings are simple. Increasing concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide are warming and acidifying the oceans. The impacts will be dramatic. Coral reef ecosystems will begin to disappear within the next 50 to 75 years. Warming and acidification will have devastating impacts on marine biodiversity and human livelihoods, especially in developing nations that depend on reefs for much of their economic well being."
2008 International Year of the Reef - Scientists from seven countries serving on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have warned that most corals will not survive into the next century. Rapid increases in temperatures and carbon dioxide levels will cause untenable levels of ocean acidification unless drastic management changes are implemented soon. Rising carbon dioxide emissions are seen as an irreducible risk to coral reefs that will be beyond the ability of local natural resource managers to mitigate.
Risks Associated with Loss of Coral Reefs - The loss of corals threaten to expose waterfront residents to increased flooding, greater coastal erosion, loss of food and reduced income from reef-based tourism. Tourism itself represents an economic engine to coastal communities worth tens of billions of dollars a year worldwide.
Early Warning Systems - The NOAA Coral Reef Watch Program launched an early warning system in 2000 to help local natural resource managers develop plans to address issues and threats to coral reefs. Using global satellite observing systems, NOAA can forward data on rising water temperatures and other stressors to managers in real time. There are sixty virtual monitoring stations in place that watch for coral bleaching, disease, or death. Mark Eakin's notes, "The data collected from the coral reef components of the developing integrated ocean observing system are documenting the increase in water temperature caused by global warming and providing additional measures of the impacts of human activity on corals. Corals are the sentinel of the seas and it is critical for us to listen and make adaptive responses to the warnings they are giving us."
NOAA works with more than seventy countries to enhance economic security and protect the environment through a number of systems including the emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). Information provided helps local decision makers address the impacts of over fishing, water borne pollution, and unsustainable coastal development.
