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higher CO2 levels probably will not harm coral after all

higher CO2 levels probably will not harm coral after all

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h

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well, I learn something new every day:

http://phys.org/news/2015-11-acidity-coral-reefs.html

"...(Phys.org)—A combined team of researchers affiliated with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences has found, via a five year study, that increased ocean acidification may not pose the threat to coral reefs that scientists have thought. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team describes their study and why they now believe that an increase in green house gas emissions many not have the devastating impact on coral reefs that most in the field have assumed would occur.

To better understand what might happen with coral reefs if more carbon dioxide makes its way into the oceans due to an increase of the gas in the atmosphere caused by human emissions, the researchers set up monitoring devices along a coral reef offshore from Bermuda—information from the sensors was monitored for five years (2007 to 2012). The team also had access to data from an ocean chemistry monitoring station approximately 80 kilometers from their study site. The combined data offered a unique perspective on coral activity.

In studying the data, the researchers noticed that spikes of phytoplankton blooms occurred during 2010 and again in 2011—those blooms made their way to the coral reef offering more food than normal for the coral. The coral responded by growing which caused them to pull more alkaline carbonate from the surrounding water, making it more acidic. Eating more also resulted in the corals emitting more carbon dioxide into the water. The result was a big increase in acidity—to levels higher than have been predicted for the future due to human emissions—yet, the coral continued to flourish.

These observations contrast sharply with the prevailing view that an increase in acidity is harmful to coral—leading to death if it goes too far. But the levels seen by the researchers with this new effort suggest that is not the case at all, and therefore muddles theories regarding the impact on the oceans of higher levels of carbon dioxide and warmer temperatures. Another team with Western Australia noted that the results found by this new team appeared to agree with those of a small study they conducted where they put boxes around some coral and piped in carbon dioxide, to no detrimental effect.
..."

I think that last bit I have highlighted (and esp the "they put boxes around some coral and piped in carbon dioxide, to no detrimental effect" bit ) makes the above studies pretty conclusive. I would even to go far as calling that 'proof' that CO2-induced ocean acidity from man made sources will have little impact on corral (although the higher temperatures might and probably will ) .

I wonder if a similar thing applies to most other marine life i.e. greater acidity (not warming ) from greater CO2 not having much harmful impact on most marine life?

D
Losing the Thread

Quarantined World

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Growth will pull calcium carbonate out of the ocean. Because the calcium ions are more alkaline than the carbonate is acidic the pH drops as the coral grows. So we get an increase in acidity, which doesn't seem to be a problem for the corals, but may be for other species. This seems to mean that increasing carbon dioxide levels tends to pull calcium out of the oceans as it gets used up in the coral carbon sink. I wonder what the effect of that is.

googlefudge

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Higher CO2 levels lead to higher temperatures.

I haven't seen any research contradicting the idea that increased temps are not a threat to corals.

MB

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Originally posted by googlefudge
Higher CO2 levels lead to higher temperatures.

I haven't seen any research contradicting the idea that increased temps are not a threat to corals.
I have done so many times from more than one source of information, but not surprisingly you ignored it because you didn't want to see it. That is what biased alarmists do.

http://quadrant.org.au/opinion/doomed-planet/2012/05/the-myth-of-acidification-of-oceans/

h

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8 edits

Originally posted by Metal Brain
... That is what biased alarmists do.

http://quadrant.org.au/opinion/doomed-planet/2012/05/the-myth-of-acidification-of-oceans/
As usual, you didn't even to bother to read our posts before shouting your ignorant arrogant mouth of in infantile hate.

googlefudge just said:

"...Higher CO2 levels lead to higher temperatures.

I haven't seen any research contradicting the idea that increased temps are not a threat to corals...."

Just READ it this time, it only effortlessly takes a few seconds, and note how he said/implied absolutely nothing whatsoever about acidification.
Your link is about the said harmful effect of CO2 acidification of oceans on marine life being a myth, not whether CO2 induced warming is a myth, thus is totally irrelevant to his current assertions here in this thread. Since that said harmful effect acidification of CO2 being a myth doesn't in anyway contradict his statement nor my OP, and since, if anything, it gives extra credence to what I said in the OP where I clearly implied it probably is a myth, your usual hysterical idiotic shout of "alarmist" here couldn't be more obviously totally stupid here to anyone who has the displeasure of reading your idiotic posts.

s
Fast and Curious

slatington, pa, usa

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Originally posted by humy
As usual, you didn't even to bother to read our posts before shouting your ignorant arrogant mouth of in infantile hate.

googlefudge just said:

"...Higher CO2 levels lead to higher temperatures.

I haven't seen any research contradicting the idea that increased temps are not a threat to corals...."

Just READ it this time, it only effortlessly takes a ...[text shortened]... e obviously totally stupid here to anyone who has the displeasure of reading your idiotic posts.
I did notice that.

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