A coral reef – SWNS
Today’s good news comes from the Good News Network. Here is the story in its entirety.
4 Decades of Data Suggests Pacific Coral Reefs Can Acclimatize to Warming Oceans and Resist Future Bleaching
Data collected over the last 40 years at a remote coral reef within the territorial waters of Palau has shown that corals are more adaptable to warming oceans than previously thought.
In fact, they’ve already adapted—potentially at a rate of 0.18°F per decade, and the researchers say that established models for coral bleaching events should be updated to presume an enhanced capacity for these stunning underwater ecosystems to sustain themselves over the decades.
The Newcastle University-led study focused on the Pacific Island nation of Palau and drew on decades of field observations, as well as many possible future coral bleaching trajectories for Palauan reefs, each with a different simulated rate of thermal tolerance enhancement.
They found that if coral thermal tolerance continues to rise throughout the 21st century at the most likely historic rate, “significant” reductions in bleaching impacts are possible.
“We quantified a natural increase in coral thermal tolerance over decadal time scales, which can be directly compared to the rate of ocean warming,” said study lead author Liam Lachs.
The researchers say that high-frequency bleaching can be fully mitigated at some reefs under low-to-middle emissions scenarios where, for example, the Paris Agreement commitments are fulfilled.
“We know that coral reefs can increase their overall thermal tolerance over time by acclimatization, genetic adaptation, or shifts in community structure; however, we know very little about the rates at which this is occurring,” said study co-author Dr. James Guest.
“This study uses data from a remote Pacific coral reef system and estimates the rate of increase in tolerance since the late 1980s. The results provide some hope that reefs can keep up with increasing temperatures, but only if strong action is taken on climate change.”
To survive amid climate change, the researchers say coral communities need to endure progressively more intense and frequent marine heatwaves.
The Newcastle team’s findings reveal that the thermal tolerance of corals in Palau has likely increased at a rate of 0.1°C per decade since the late 1980s.
The researchers say that the increase suggests that natural mechanisms, such as genetic adaptation, acclimatization of corals, or their symbiotic microalgae, could have contributed to the enhancement of coral thermal tolerance.
Several early models on climate change, global warming, and ecological degradation have been shown to be incorrect over the years, including the effects of ruminant agriculture on greenhouse gas emissions and plastic pollution entering the ocean—which GNN recently reported could have been overestimated for years by a factor of 30.
On corals, some scientists aren’t waiting to see if they can adapt at their own pace. Researchers in Florida are breeding corals that are specifically identified as carrying genetic adaptations that make them less vulnerable to heat and acidic water.
The good news here is as the world struggles with the effects of global warming, the coral reefs are adapting to the changes. Today’s JohnKu talks about the global warming situation. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Global Warming by John W. Howell © 2023
Global warming worries,
Are First World concerns today . . .
Need Third World buy-in.
Fiction Favorites 
I think most of nature is adaptable, to a certain extent. But it’s one of those situations where you wish there wasn’t such a need to be so.
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I agree. I wish India and China would get on board.
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If only
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😊
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That’s pretty amazing. Soon we’ll have GMO reefs.
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Then we’ll have resorts advertising “no GMO reefs.”
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I hope the Caribbean follows suit, the bleaching is sad.
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We have to hope the reef adapts cause humans (esp China and India) aren’t going to change.
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You make a very good point, John. Humans aren’t going to change, so we can only hope that nature is able to adapt.
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Sad but true
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3 cheers for Mother Nature!
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Hip hip hooray
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😊
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😊
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Nature is amazing. This was interesting, John, thanks!
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I agree, Vera.
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Interesting, John! This is good news.
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I thought so too, Joan.
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Mother Nature leaves me speechless. Thanks for sharing, John!
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Mother has to work overtime to offset the crap we produce. Thanks, Jill.
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That’s good. Hope the other animals that use them for homes can adapt too.
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Good point.
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Great news, John! Thanks for sharing. (Loved the JohnKu, too!)
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Thank you. 😊
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Hubby and I watched something about coral reefs just last year and how they’re dying. This is really good news. What everyone else said – nature is amazing.
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Nature is amazing for sure. Thanks, Teri
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It’s good news, John. I just hope it isn’t used to delay our taking action.
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If we could get China and India to do something we all would be better off.
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Agreed
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😊
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Nature is rather adaptable. The only worry is how much it can keep up. If we slow down, they have time. Nicely done, sir!
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I agree, Dale. Thanks. 😁
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You know it.
Happy Friday!
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Happy Friday to you as well.
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Thank you and TGIF!
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😊
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I do hope we can resolve these issues, John. There’s so much beauty in our world, and it would be criminal for us not to take care of it for ourselves and for generations to come.
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I agree, Debbie. My message goes out to China and India to get with the program.
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They have shown our coral reefs here in Florida and they are bleaching badly. And we still have non-believers in global warming/climate change? Wake up, people!!
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Good point, Lois. Thanks for making it.
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Mother Nature surprises us with its wisdom. If only we listened… Thank you for this post, John.
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My pleasure, Gwen. 😁
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This is wonderful news! I knew about the coral breeding – we are an inventive species, and I know we can solve this!
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I believe you are right Noelle.
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Mother Nature is always at work, but it doesn’t negate mankind’s responsibility to do the right thing.
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I agree, Tim. China and India need to step up.
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I think so, too. We’ll see.
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Yes we will.
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This doesn’t let people off the hook but it does give us hope.
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If we could get China and India to make some effort we might win this thing.
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I love that the coral is adapting, but I still worry what will happen if things remain unchecked. Still, this is positive news, and definitely worthy of a “Fri-Yay!”
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I agree. My worry is China and India. We can do a lot but unless they start conservation we will all be lost.
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Totally agree, John!
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😊
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How amazing that the coral reef is able to adapt. It doesn’t excuse what humans are doing to the environment, but is a great example of Mother Nature’s resiliency. Thanks for sharing, John!
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It is a good example, Jan
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I hope we humans can adapt as well to the changes…
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Since we humans are the cause of the changes let’s hope something can be done to reverse them. Thanks, Becky.
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That’s for sure, John!
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Wonderful! Nature does adapt.
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So true, Jennie. 😁
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Couldn’t agree more with your last line…
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China and India need to get with it.
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We’re being played for suckers and we have leadership that doesn’t see it, or doesn’t want to see it.
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Our leadership doesn’t see anything. We have so many problems that are totally ignored in the quest to destroy our democracy. Oops that sounded like a political rant. (It was)
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Nature is resilient, but I especially agree with the last line your poem. We need to find a way for third world countries to support themselves if we hope to combat climate change.
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Not only that but China and India need to get busy.
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John, your JohnKu is spot on!
I hope the reefs do adapt. They probably have a better chance at adaptation than humans do.
I mean, once we are adapted, what will we look like?
3 nostrils, probably a shrunken cranium, no feet to accommodate clip on wheels, truncated digestive systems for pill digestion, & hunch backs from smart screens.
🫥⧗ 🐂 🐂
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You paint a laugh out loud picture, Resa. One addition. 36 inch across bums from sitting.🫥⧗ 🐂 🐂 🐂
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Ouch!
Although that could be a winning beauty measurement when we have ONE big eye!
👁Ẍ 👁Ẍ 👁Ẍ 👁Ẍ
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👁Ẍ 👁Ẍ 👁Ẍ 👁Ẍ 👁Ẍ I’m going to borrow these cause they are so darned clever.
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Aww, still, your flying OXen were pretty cool!
👁Ẍ 👁Ẍ 👁Ẍ 👁Ẍ 👁Ẍ 👁Ẍ
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🐂 🪰
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An OXfly…..
You’re getting all sci-fi, eh!
🎼”OX-fly pie and apple pan dowdy”🎼
🐂 🪰🥧
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🐂 🪰🥧 makes your 👀 light up and your stomach say howdy. 😁
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Hahaha!
Maybe not a howdy to OXfly pie, maybe a burp…sort of thing.
💋🐂 🪰🥧💋
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Oxfly pie may be on the do not eat list. 💋🐂 🪰🥧💋🤢
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I think you’re right!
🤢💋🐂 🪰🥧💋🤢
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🤢💋🐂 🪰🥧💋🤢 The thought makes me want 🥦
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Broccoli! That’ll put us on the straight and narrow!
🥦⧗🥦⧗🥦⧗🥦⧗
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This is good news, but, as your Johnku points out, it will really only work if everyone is on board.
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Another someone.
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I don’t know how warm those coral reefs can take. But I do know, there’s no joy swimming in an ocean 100 degrees and more. 😦
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I remember when the Gulf would be 95 degrees and you are so right.
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It was extraordinarily hot in Mexico this past winter. One day they forgot to shut off the water heater in the pool and it registered in the mid 90s. The water was not refreshing. 🙂
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Goodness. Good for a bath though.
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That’s about it. 🙂
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You get yelled at for bringing a bar of soap.
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🙂
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😁
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