Great Barrier Reef will be gone in 20 years, says Charlie Veron

[Frankie]

Story provided by Jeremy0322. Thanks Jeremy!

The Great Barrier Reef will be so degraded by warming waters that it will be unrecognizable within 20 years, an eminent marine scientist has said.
Charlie Veron, former chief scientist of the Australian Institute of Marine Science, told The Times: “There is no way out, no loopholes. The Great Barrier Reef will be over within 20 years or so.”
Once carbon dioxide had hit the levels predicted for between 2030 and 2060, all coral reefs were doomed to extinction, he said. “They would be the world’s first global ecosystem to collapse. I have the backing of every coral reef scientist, every research organization. I’ve spoken to them all. This is critical. This is reality.”

For the complete article, please follow this link:
Great Barrier Reef will be gone in 20 years, says Charlie Veron - Times Online

 

[Jeremy0322]

I do what I can Really sad story though, im actually applying for a study abroad program down there so I can see it before it dissapears

 

[DendroGuru]

hopefully they are wrong. i hope i can go back to school so i can help make a change.

 

[BigAl07]

Wow! That SUCKS!!! Maybe we can "as a planet" help make a change. Even small efforts by many can help to some degree.

 

[Jeremy0322]

You guys should check out the site Environmental News Network -- Know Your Environment Its where I get most of this stuff from, its a site dedicated to only news which has an environmental impact

 

[proenca]

sad sad sad....

 

[GreatWhiteShark]

That can't happen can it?? The impact on the ocean would be devastating!!

 

[reefjitsu]

I have the backing of every coral reef scientist, every research organization. I’ve spoken to them all. This is critical. This is reality.

I have to call BS on that statement. No way anybody has talked to every coral reef scientist and received their backing.

On the side of hope for the future....The Great Barrier Reef has come and gone a few times in it's history. During past ice ages, when sea level was lower, the area now known as the Great Barrier Reef has been alternately covered by forests as well as coral reefs. So, at least there is hope that a new coral reef will grow again at some future date, if environmental conditions once again become favorable. Small bit of hope I know, but at least it is something.

 

[Frankie]

I have to call BS on that statement. No way anybody has talked to every coral reef scientist and received their backing.

On the side of hope for the future....The Great Barrier Reef has come and gone a few times in it's history. During past ice ages, when sea level was lower, the area now known as the Great Barrier Reef has been alternately covered by forests as well as coral reefs. So, at least there is hope that a new coral reef will grow again at some future date, if environmental conditions once again become favorable. Small bit of hope I know, but at least it is something.

I have to agree about the BS on that one.
Nice post, I agree fully that the reef there is going to come and go just as it has for a very long time now. The problem people have is they do not live long enough
As far as the planets life go's, this reef is still very young. I am also not so sure that it is in as much danger as they seem to think it is. Corals are very adaptable creatures from my experience in keeping them in a small glass box~

 

[Sarah88]

yes this is sad but you all should look up a video on reef farming it gives a really positive look to the future, they have people out there fragging off pieces of the corals that are overcrowding each other and bringing them to a different "fake reef" part of the ocean where they grow out the frags and then when they grow out replace them on parts of the reef where other corals have died off

 

[johnmaloney]

when i was in middle school biology the scientists of that day knew that most of Florida would be covered by water in 20 years. It hasn't been 20 years, but I think we are pretty safe. hopefully the same will ring true for the great barrier reef.

 

[Frankie]

I read articles about England being under ice in 20 year 10 years ago. They seem pretty stable so far
You cannot believe everything you read. Common sense needs to be applied to life also~

 

[redsea reefer]

Reef's were here before us and will be here after us.

Evolution- Mother nature always finds a way...

 

[johnmaloney]

Very true. I am not sure, but maybe they hype up how fast human impacts will hurt the ecosystem because they figure if they say 100 years, people won't care at all. I don't know...

 

[Jeremy0322]

I am sure that has a little bit to do with it too, if you tell people 100 years then people just shrug it off because in their minds its either not their problems but future generations or they have the time to make the change, most dates like this are accelerated just to get a sense of urgency in the people that read them I think.

 

[nightfire76]

remember reefs like many other things in life ajust and evolve,they have for many years before us and will after us.there are some wales that travel from as far south as areas of south america all the way to close the the north pole cause of the seasons to eat krill which is all they eat,if at some point it doesnt evolve to eating other things then at some point itll die out,though im sure it wont happen because no matter what,nature is smater then humans

 

[Jeremy0322]

remember reefs like many other things in life ajust and evolve,they have for many years before us and will after us.there are some wales that travel from as far south as areas of south america all the way to close the the north pole cause of the seasons to eat krill which is all they eat,if at some point it doesnt evolve to eating other things then at some point itll die out,though im sure it wont happen because no matter what,nature is smater then humans

This is true, but you are not looking at the big picture in that example. For the sake of this lets say the whales dont exist. What else do you know of that survives off of krill? Its pretty much one of the bottom staples in many of the food chains in the ocean, and with things like temp change and rising CO2 levels as fast as they are happening right now, if something is not changed then there could be series problems. Krill are eaten by many fish, penguins, seals, whales, and some birds directly. However, thing of the animals that eat those animals, such as other marine mammals, birds, bigger fish, sharks, etc. Its easy to see how far a loss like this can stretch. I found this looking around the net.

http://www.utas.edu.au/events/Media Releases/2008/CO2 and krill FOR WEB.pdf

The excess CO2 will have an effect on Calcium Carbonate, which is what many of these small Crustaceans rely on this to create their exoskeletons, meaning juveniles can not become adults, no reproduction, bottom of the food chain is knocked out.

 

[johnmaloney]

but what about things like plankton blooms to take down co2? i wonder how far the ph was changed to reverse the calcium carbonate process, did he reach calcium reactor type levels?

 

[Green Gills]

This is very True they have been discussing it in Australia for a few years i have dived on the reef 3 times (off Townsville) And its such a untouched world pristine. **Bleaching** its slowly happening now. It would be very sad to loose a world wonder
*Aussie*