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Corals, Climate, and Sea Level Changes

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What is a coral reef? 1/3rd of all marine species ... Why are coral reefs important? Ecosystem services: Fish ... Effects of global warming on coral reefs ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Corals, Climate, and Sea Level Changes


1
Corals, Climate, and Sea Level Changes
  • Lida Teneva, LDEO
  • February 9, 2008
  • Earth 2 Class

2
What is a coral reef?
  • 1/3rd of all marine species
  • shallow, warm tropical waters between 30 S and
    30 N
  • around volcanic islands, or as isolated atolls

3
What is a coral?
  • Colonial, immobile animals
  • various sizes, shapes, colors
  • secrete a calcium carbonate skeleton
  • Symbiotic relationship with algae

4
Why are coral reefs important?
  • Ecosystem services
  • Fish habitat
  • Source of food and medicine
  • protection the coast from erosion

5
The coral-climate connection
  • Look at skeletal chemistry carbon, oxygen,
    nitrogen isotopes trace amounts of certain
    elements
  • Get information about past temperature change,
    sea level change, ocean environmental changes,
    ocean circulation, air-sea interactions, CO2
    changes, etc.

6
What we do in our lab
  • Focus on
  • Sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) since the last
    glacial period (estimates 5 C cooler than today)
  • Sea level change since the last glacial period
    (estimates global sea level was 120m 400
    feet lower than today)

Fairbanks, 1989
7
Effects of global warming on coral reefs
Coral bleaching due to temperature increase,
often leading to coral death
With increased CO2 in the atmosphere, the
carbonate balance in the ocean changes and the
ability of the corals to make their skeletons is
negatively affected.
8
Take home points
  • Corals are colonial, immobile animals, existing
    in symbiosis with algae, and recording ambient
    chemical information within their skeletons
  • Corals are very sensitive to environmental
    changes
  • We can gain a lot of insight by studying ancient
    corals
  • We need to conserve and monitor reefs carefully
    in light of future climate changes and other
    anthropogenic threats
  • There is a lot we still need to learn about
    corals and coral reefs, but it is certain they
    need our protection -- for the sake of
    biodiversiry, preservation of climate
    information, coastal protection, etc.

9
Thank you!
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