Coral Reef Crisis Royal Society Lecture

Coral Expert Professor John Veron Presents Climate Change Facts 2009

Sep 8, 2009

Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels must be reduced immediately.

The Royal Society, together with the Zoological Society of London and the International Programme on the State of the Ocean, explain links between atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and the coral reef crisis.

Sir David Attenborough introduced Professor John Veron (an acknowledged coral expert) who spoke to the Royal Society in London. The talk began ‘this will not be a happy talk’ but ‘I have never given a more important talk in my life’.

Professor Veron spoke after studying over 3,000 peer-reviewed articles, and with the endorsement of thousands of scientists. He was clear to distinguish fact from conjecture. The main points are summarised here, but a webcast of this talk, and a pdf of the report can be accessed through a solemn warning in ‘Global warming and the future of New Zealand’.

Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Level Facts

The effects of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide on temperature are understood by most people – more carbon dioxide raises the temperature of the earth. The knock-on effects are less well known.

Higher temperatures melt Arctic, Antarctic, and glacier ice. This raises sea levels worldwide and influences ocean currents.

Carbon Dioxide and Ocean Acidification

Carbonic acid enters the ocean surface waters and acidifies them. Gradual increases are buffered (kept harmless in this context) by salts in the water, but current rates of increase will overwhelm this buffering capacity.

Coral reefs (and most other ocean creatures with shells) will not survive ocean acidification.

Coral Reefs

Mass extinctions (five so far) are recorded in fossil coral reefs. At each event reef-building has ceased. All have been associated with changing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Coral reefs are dying – in the early 1980s coral bleaching was first observed. It is now a worldwide phenomenon associated with increasing water temperature. Almost 20% of reefs have already died, and a further 35% are seriously threatened.

Coral reefs are not only the habitat where there is most biodiversity; they also support tens of millions of people.

Professor Veron’s talk concluded with the plea that the audience should ‘go away and think’. Mass extinctions happen, but the next one might well come about through human activities. The earth will survive, as will life – but will human beings?

BNC101

The copyright of the article Coral Reef Crisis Royal Society Lecture in Zoology is owned by John Blatchford. Permission to republish Coral Reef Crisis Royal Society Lecture in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.