<
https://theconversation.com/more-than-coral-the-unseen-casualties-of-record-breaking-heat-on-the-great-barrier-reef-227906>
"In past bleaching events on the Great Barrier Reef, the southern region has
sometimes been spared worst of the bleaching. Not this time. This year’s
intense underwater heat has triggered the most severe heat stress ever seen on
record. Only 3% of surveyed southern reefs have not bleached at all. It’s
shaping up to be the most severe and widespread bleaching of the southern reef,
while mass bleaching has hit other areas of the reef in the fifth mass
bleaching event in eight years.
We’re shocked and saddened by images of stark white coral skeletons. But the
damage done by heat underwater goes much further. A living coral reef is a
complex ecosystem teeming with vastly more species than the corals. Not only
that, but 95% of the habitat on the reef is not coral, but sediment and sand,
hotspots of hidden biodiversity. So, what happens to this cornucopia of life
when subjected to extreme temperature stress?
We are currently on One Tree Island on the southern reef. It’s home to a
research station and has one of the highest levels of protection within the
whole reef.
What have we found? So far, the signs are not good. When we dive underwater, we
can taste the change as stressed and dying corals release chemicals into water.
When we bring back samples, the smell is distinctly sulphurous and sour. We see
not just bleached hard corals, but also bleached anemones and soft corals.
There are few starfish or sea urchins, yet algae growing on dead coral is
attracting more herbivorous fish."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
