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Hurricanes can help coral reefs mongabay.com July 17, 2007 A close call with a hurricane can be beneficial to a stressed coral reef, reports a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The new research shows that hurricanes, which can form when surface temperatures reach about 28 degrees C (about 82 degrees F), cool sea temperatures by stirring up colder waters from ocean depths. The action brings relief to coral "bleached" by warm waters. Bleaching refers to the expulsion of the symbiotic algae that enable corals to feed. Corals can recover from short-term bleaching, but prolonged bleaching -- over a week -- can cause irreversible damage and subsequent death.
"The area affected by hurricane cooling is much larger than the narrow bands where damage actually occurs to reefs. Clearly, hurricane cooling isn't expected to completely negate the effects of climate change on coral reefs, but a well-timed hurricane or hurricanes has the potential to mitigate the negative ecological consequences associated with severe temperature disturbances," added co-author Marilyn Brandt, a graduate assistant in the Rosenstiel School marine biology and fisheries division. The researchers say their work is the only known scenario where hurricane effects have been shown to benefit a stressed marine community. Related articles Moving species may be only way to save them from climate change (7/17/2008) Desperate times call for desperate measures, according to a new paper in Science. Conservation scientists from the US, the UK, and Australia are calling for the consideration of a highly controversial conservation technique: assisted migration. According to the policy piece, species would be relocated to sites "where they do not currently occur or have not been known to occur in recent history". 1/3 of corals face extinction (7/10/2008) Nearly one-third of reef-building corals are vulnerable to extinction, according to an assessment of 845 species of coral. Rising temperatures, increased incidence of disease, and human disturbance are driving the trend. Good news for reefs: giant coral structure found off Brazil (7/7/2008) Amid a series of dire reports on the status of coral reefs, scientists announced the discovery of a reef off the southern coast of Brazil's Bahia state that doubles the size of the Southern Atlantic Ocean's largest and richest reef system, the Abrolhos Bank. U.S. coral reefs in trouble (7/7/2008) Nearly half of U.S. coral reefs are in "poor" or "fair" condition according to a new study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). CO2 emissions could doom fishing industry (7/3/2008) Aside from warming climate, rising carbon dioxide emissions are contributing to ocean acidification, threatening sea live, warn researchers writing in the journal Science. This trend makes it all the more important to reduce emissions, argue the authors. Comments? News options News index | RSS | Add to MyYahoo! Advertisements: Organic Apparel from Patagonia | Insect-repelling clothing |
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