Possibly one of the greatest threats facing corals, however, is that of bleaching as a result of increased sea surface temperature. Despite having taken millions of years to evolve, marine organisms, under today's conditions, must adapt very quickly to new conditions. Ocean acidification, or increased CO2 levels which result in the lowering of the pH of seawater, not only reduces the abundance of phytoplankton but also decreases calcification in certain marine animals like corals and shellfish, causing their skeletons to become weaker and growth to be impaired. "Long-term region-wide decline in Caribbean Corals", Science 301:958-960. 50-70% of coral reefs are directly affected by anthropogenic global climate change (Hoegh-Guldberg 1999). ", International Coral Reef Symposium, Cairns, Australia, 9-13 July 2012. Additionally, claims can be made for change to coral reef health globally, but each reef deals with regional problems that are specific to the local conditions it is exposed to. Subscribers get more award-winning coverage of advances in science & technology. (eds.) Temperature increases and ocean acidification are projected to further reduce coral cover in the future. Ocean acidification is one result of climate change. (2012). "Beyond Corals and Fish: The Effects of Climate Change on Non-coral Benthic Invertebrates of Tropical Reefs", Global Change Biology (2008) 14, 2773-2795, DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2008.01693.x. Recently, 55 different species of Pacific corals were recommended for inclusion as either threatened and/or endangered species (J. Biggs, pers. They serve as an early warning sign of what may happen to other less sensitive systems, such as river deltas, if climate change is not urgently addressed. In addition, temperature is an important trigger in the life cycles of many marine plants and animals, and often the onset of feeding, growth and reproduction are synchronized. Is the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Doing Enough? Rising sea levels and climate change will therefore have a significant negative impact on the ability of coral reefs to mitigate the effects of coastal hazards in the future. Effects of Climate Change The effects of climate change on coral reefs stem from the increase in carbon dioxide and the increase in atmospheric temperature. Other dangers include disease, destructive fishing practices and warming oceans. Scientific knowledge needs to be transferred into practical solutions that will engender public support. Much more research needs to be conducted to provide specific evidence that climate change is the cause in this specific regional problem. Scientific American is part of Springer Nature, which owns or has commercial relations with thousands of scientific publications (many of them can be found at, The Senkaku/Diaoyu Island Dispute in the East China Sea, https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CC0QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rareplanet.org%2Fsites%2Frareplanet.org%2Ffiles%2F29julyngederrak_site_summary.docx&ei=9TmkUanzGYi1iwKX5oDICQ&usg=AFQjCNG132oEJ20Hx51HY1l9HuHEMSTfpQ&bvm=bv.47008514,d.cGE, http://coris.noaa.gov/activities/coral_research_plan/pdfs/guam_w.pdf, Southern California and Endangered Abalone Populations, The Historical Collapse of Southern California Fisheries and the Rocky Future of Seafood, Hyperbaric Oxygen: A Spectrum of Emerging Treatments. Most reviews concerning the impact of climate change on coral reefs discuss independent effects of warming or ocean acidification. "Coral reefs and global change: where do the solutions lie? Now that corals have been briefly described we can see why the effects of climate change damage coral reef systems. The Effects of Climate Change On Coral Reefs and Women at Jacques Cousteau's Underwater Reserve, Guadeloupe. Over the last three decades, the world has lost half of its reefs. Climate change impacts on coral reefs: Synergies with local effects, possibilities for acclimation, and management implications Mebrahtu Ateweberhana,⇑, David A. Fearyb, Shashank Keshavmurthyc, Allen Chenc, Michael H. Schleyerd, Charles R.C. One of the most significant changes would be decreasing CO2 emissions. In fact, scientists estimate that we’ve already lost as much as half of all coral reefs since 1980, and some fear that we could lose the rest in just 30 years. (2011). Corals need water that has a specific salinity and low turbidity, and these changes in weather create an environment that does not support healthy coral. 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