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In the Coral Sea, ecosystems are being severely damaged due to the effects of climate change. Coral in the #GreatBarrierReef and other parts of the Coral Sea have sustained extensive damage due to coral bleaching. (1/15) #39CSustain #CoralReefs @39CSustain
Climate change around the world has had large effects, specifically on our oceans. Human carbon emissions are a leading cause of global warming, and a large amount of the carbon released ends up in the oceans, causing ocean acidification which can have many effects. (2/15)
Oceans absorb approximately 40% of carbon dioxide emitted into the air. Colder water can absorb more carbon than warm water, but due to global warming, the ocean is able to absorb less carbon dioxide than before. (3/15) https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2017/feb/16/scientists-study-ocean-absorption-of-human-carbon-pollution
As oceans warm, it greatly impacts the coral reefs in the Coral Sea, including the Australian #GreatBarrierReef. The warming and acidified ocean have caused multiple coral bleachings, killing off parts of the reefs over the past few years. (4/15)
There have been multiple mass bleaching events over the past two dozen years, in 1997-1998, 2001-2002, 2005-2006, 2008-2011, 2016, and 2017. These were associated with different attributes such as warmer sea temperatures and extreme seasons. (5/15)
https://www.aims.gov.au/docs/research/climate-change/coral-bleaching/bleaching-events.html
https://www.aims.gov.au/docs/research/climate-change/coral-bleaching/bleaching-events.html
From 2014-2017, there was something known as a global-scale coral bleaching event(GCBE), and it was unique in its scale, duration and intensity. (6/15) https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00338-019-01844-2
The impacts of these bleaching events can be widespread, and span outside of just the direct #CoralReefs, including large effects on surrounding ecosystems, #marinelife, economies, food security, and safety. (7/15)
A difference of as little as 2° Fahrenheit can cause coral damage, and during the GCBE, 75% of the world’s #CoralReefs in tropical areas suffered heat stress enough to cause coral bleaching. (8/15)
There are thousands of animals that survive off of #CoralReefs for shelter, protection, and as a breeding area, and they support the base of ocean food chains. Reefs also absorb waves and storm surges, keeping communities on the coast safe. (9/15) https://www.worldwildlife.org/pages/everything-you-need-to-know-about-coral-bleaching-and-how-we-can-stop-it
As reefs support tourism in their areas as well as the commercial fishing industry, damages being done to the reefs will represent a loss of up to 375 billion dollars annually. This will be inflicted upon the local economies to the reefs. (10/15)
There is a large meadow of seagrass in the #GreatBarrierReef that is known as a “blue carbon sink.” They remove carbon from the atmosphere four times quicker and store ten times more carbon than forests above water. (11/15)
These measurements quantify the accessible seagrass, but there could be much more working to combat global warming. Without climate change regulations, seagrasses are dying at 1.5% globally per year because their ecosystem isn’t being protected. (12/15) https://www.npr.org/2018/12/16/676913451/deep-seagrass-bed-could-stall-climate-change-if-climate-change-doesnt-kill-it-fi
With other climate disasters such as the wildfires ongoing in Australia, it is important to see how they’re handling this. Since 1996, the Australian government has turned away climate change initiatives to defend their #fossilfuelindustry. (13/15)
The #fossilfuelindustry is a large donor to both major parties in Australia, ensuring that the climate change agenda is kept away from passing, and the Prime Minister of Australia, Scott Morrison, continues to employ climate denialism. (14/15)
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/03/opinion/australia-fires-climate-change.html?searchResultPosition=3
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/03/opinion/australia-fires-climate-change.html?searchResultPosition=3
This is an urgent issue that is happening now, and the longer it goes without being addressed, the more damage will be done. #CoralReefs can recover, but only if the bleaching is localized so healthy coral can repopulate it with algae. (15/15) https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/can-coral-reefs-recover-from-bleaching/
