Re:Another Blow for the Future of Corals
by mikestew on Friday September 06, 2019 @11:17AM
(#20896391)
won't corals adapted to tropical waters colonize currently colder waters that are at that point perfectly suited?
What, they just call up American Vanlines to come pack their shit and move them 10 degrees north? No, temperature change will happen quickly enough that the coral will die before they migrate.
Re:Another Blow for the Future of Corals
by mythrwy on Friday September 06, 2019 @11:41AM
(#20896628)
Corals produce polyps that are mobile early in life and wash all over. They won't have any trouble moving if temperatures change. In fact it's already been observed to happen.
https://www.nature.com/news/2011/110121/full/news.2011.33.ht...
Corals are not going to die out in 30 years, 50 years, probably not before humans die out. Corals have been around for a long time and are highly adaptable.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil_Coral_Reef
For fun you can look at temps and C02 levels during Devonian period. No glaciers, much warmer than today. Very high C02 because carbon we are burning today had not been sequestered yet. Yet a coral reef was formed, a big one.
Re:Another Blow for the Future of Corals
by adrianN on Friday September 06, 2019 @12:10PM
(#20896902)
You'd better call up the IPCC and tell them of your findings, because they believe that 99% of the coral will be dead in a 2° world with high confidence. Currently our emissions are on a path for much stronger warming that even that.
Besides if the temperature warms 2 degrees won't corals adapted to tropical waters colonize currently colder waters that are at that point perfectly suited?