Friday, January 04, 2013

Coral reefs facing the heat!?

A Stanford University study claims to have found heat-resistant coral reefs. But can slow adaptation keep pace with the changing environment?

There are many treasures hidden in the depths of the oceans; marine plants and animals aside, there’s more to this wealth than pearly oysters and treasures lost to sunken vessels. Anyone who has ever visited an aquarium or gone snorkelling would be familiar with these stunning creatures called corals. Yes, these plant or rock-like things aren’t actually either. They’re, in fact, animals that play a vital role in defining the structure of marine reefs (colonies of corals), which in turn are the source of vital nutrition for fish and other sea creatures who depend on them for their sustenance. But in spite of having called the oceans home for eons, corals are always at risk, sometimes owing to natural but largely due to man-made reasons. Almost 80 per cent of shallow reefs are over-fished and that’s significant, considering the fact that corals occupy less than one per cent of the total marine environment, which is home to over 25 per cent of all known marine fish species. Another factor is a phenomenon called coral bleaching in which a rise in ocean temperature makes corals lose colour and eventually die out. Says noted filmmaker and conservationist, Mike Pandey whose film Shores of Silence – Whale Sharks in India, won the Green Oscar, “Coral reefs are the first and the most prolific and sensitive ecosystem and origins of life. Global warming has killed thousands of coral reefs and many coral reefs in Lakshwadeep, Maldives and South East Asia have died because of oceans warming up.” But what about reports that Stanford University scientists have found evidence that some coral reefs are adapting and may actually survive global warming? “There are species that have adapted to climatic changes but adaptation and mutation takes millions of years. The slow adaptation cannot cope with the rapid change in environment,” maintains Mike.

There’s no denying that corals sustain livelihood, about two billion directly and three billion indirectly. They are also the breeding ground for 4500 species of fish. Reefs have died because of careless and reckless tourism. “Over thousands of fishes have been lost to Dynamite Fishing in South East Asia. A 1000 tonnes of corals and living shells are being drenched out and oiled to be sold as souvenirs every week.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
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