great barrier reef – Page 2 – Shamskm: A site to exchange knowledge and solutions

Sea Cucumbers: Dissolving Coral Reefs?

By Guest PostDecember 27, 2011Environmentacidification, australia, biodiversity, caco3, calcium carbonate, carbon dioxide, coral reefs, digestive process, dissolution, dk13, ecosystem, emissions, erika woolsey, great barrier reef, jacob silverman, ken caldeira, kenneth schneider, maria byrne, marine environment, marine organisms, ocean acidification, one tree island, one tree reef, recycling of nutrients, reef environment, sea cucumbers, sea life

Washington, D.C. — Coral reefs are extremely diverse ecosystems that support enormous biodiversity. But they are at risk. Carbon dioxide emissions are acidifying the ocean, threatening reefs and other marine organisms. New research led by Carnegie’s Kenneth Schneider analyzed the role of sea cucumbers in portions of the Great Barrier Reef and determined that their dietary process of dissolving calcium carbonate (CaCO3) from the surrounding reef accounts for about half of at the total nighttime dissolution for the reef. The work is published December 23 by the Journal of Geophysical Research.

Reefs are formed through the biological deposition of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Many of the marine organisms living on and around a reef contribute to either its destruction or construction. Therefore it is crucial that the amount of calcium carbonate remain in balance. When this delicate balance is disrupted, the reef ceases to grow and its foundations can be weakened. (more…)

Weather Extremes Are Growing Trend in Northern Australia, Corals Show

By Guest PostFebruary 10, 2011Environmentaims, annual bands, australia, australian institute of marine science, calcium carbonate skeletons, climate patterns, climate scientist, coast, coral colonies, cores, cyclone, dome shaped colonies, el niño southern oscillation, extreme rain, flooding, great barrier reef, growth patterns, janice lough, luminescence, luminometer, near shore corals, northeast queensland, northern australia, porites coral, precipitation, rainfall, summers, townsville, tropical climate pattern, weather extremes

WASHINGTON —The extreme rain events that have caused flooding across northern Australia may become an increasingly familiar occurrence, new research suggests. The study uses the growth patterns in near-shore corals to determine which summers brought more rain than others, creating a centuries-long rainfall record for northern Australia.

“This reconstruction provides a new insight into rainfall in northeast Queensland,” says Janice Lough, climate scientist of the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) in Townsville, Queensland, who authored the study. “These coral samples, which date from 1639 to 1981, suggest that the summer of 1973–1974 was the wettest in 300 years. This summer is now being compared with that record-setting one.” (more…)

Coral Transplantation the Simple and Cheap Solution to Reef Restoration

By Guest PostJune 11, 2010Environment. elkhorn coral, british virgin islands, coral, gardening analogy, graham forrester, great barrier reef, gulf of mexico, orchard, reef restoration, restoration ecology, transplantation, university of rhode island, white bay

It is a question asked by marine scientists from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Barrier Reef; how best to restore coral reefs and marine habitat once it has been damaged or even killed?

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Tag Archives: great barrier reef

Sea Cucumbers: Dissolving Coral Reefs?

Weather Extremes Are Growing Trend in Northern Australia, Corals Show

Coral Transplantation the Simple and Cheap Solution to Reef Restoration