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EFFORTS TO SAVE AILING CORAL REEFS The State, Columbia South Carolina, 10/28/2000 Kathryn Winiarski BALI, Indonesia—Coral reefs might not survive the next 20 to 30 years because of rising global temperatures and mysterious coral diseases, scientists said Friday at the close of the Ninth International Coral Reef Symposium. Efforts to salvage sick reefs and safeguard those still alive should continue, an expert scientific panel said. But unless the pumping of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere is cut quickly and drastically, healthy reefs will be anomalies. Corals are temperature-sensitive, and carbon dioxide traps heat in the atmosphere. “If you don’t address the types of stresses that are occurring on reefs, we may have less and less to preserve in these areas,” said Australian researcher Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, director of the Center for Marine Studies at the University of Queensland. Most scientists agree climate change is the worst stress confronting reefs, which protect shorelines, serve as fish nurseries and attract tourists interested in snorkeling and scuba diving. “It overwhelms us, too,” said Strong, who has compiled satellite data of the world’s ocean hotspots since 1994. “It’s sad when all of this happens so quickly. We’re going to have to accept the fact there are going to be some changes.” Since carbon dioxide is generated by the burning of fuel in smokestacks, automobiles and home furnaces, stopping emissions is unlikely, scientists fear. As the world burns more coal, oil, and gas for energy, carbon dioxide emissions are 12 times higher now than they were in 1900. The United States and six other countries have still not complied with the Kyoto Protocol, a 1997 agreement to cut global warming pollution by 5 percent within 10 years. “At this point, we just don’t know if the corals will be able to withstand that sort of change in atmospheric composition,” said Mark Eakin, the Colorado-based chief of NOAA’s paleoclimatology program. “There is a lot of evidence that they are at least going to be severely impacted.” Reefs are considered the rain forests of the sea, home to a breathtaking diversity of fish and corals. But before too long they may develop into very different environments, with less species variety and dominated by corals that are more resistant to stress. Branching corals, which are the best breeding grounds for fish because of all the nooks and crannies they offer, are most sensitive to stress. Boulderous corals, which scientists say have proven to be most resistant, offer no such hiding places. “Some corals that haven’t been abundant until now are taking over,” said Yossi Loya of Tel Aviv University in Israel. “The, major problem is the branching corals—which hold the greatest diversity, and the whole food chain is dependent on them—are breaking up.” Many of the 1,465 research papers submitted at the five-day conference portrayed reefs in dire straits and in need of quick help. “It’s going to take action on the part of global leaders to resolve this on a large scale,” said Billy Causey, superintendent of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. “But I refuse to give up on coral reefs staying around.” About the Writer Kathryn Winiarski is a health and medical writer for The State. She received a scholarship from Packard Foundation to cover the ninth International Coral Reef Symposium in Bali, Indonesia. She is one 15 journalists chosen to cover the conference. |
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