Clipping Board » Environmental Pollution & Change ─ How dirty the human heart is, how dirty the environment will be...
Update Date: 2008/12/07 09:36 【China Times, Xu Junwei / Special Report】
The sunlight shines brightly in southern Taiwan, but the coral beneath the surface of Kenting's waters is in grave danger. Coral bleaching outside the outlet of the Third Nuclear Power Plant is no longer news, but local diving instructors have noticed that coral bleaching in the entire Kenting sea area has become increasingly severe in recent years. Senior diving instructor Cai Yongchun said that even heat-resistant corals like fire coral, soft coral, and brain coral have succumbed.
Cai Yongchun directly pointed out that global warming is the culprit behind coral bleaching. As seawater temperatures rise, even fire coral, which thrives in the warmest waters near the Third Nuclear Power Plant outlet, can no longer withstand the heat and has turned white.
Excessive CO2 Leads to Ocean Acidification
Former director of the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, Fang Lixing, stated that coral survival is closely related to ocean acidification and water temperature. Acidification refers to the excessive CO2 in seawater, leading to a lower pH level, which prevents corals from forming calcium carbonate-based skeletons. High water temperatures also negatively impact coral survival.
He further explained that over thousands of years, corals have faced multiple survival crises due to global environmental changes. Research shows that while corals affected by ocean acidification in the past had their skeletons dissolved, they evolved into skeletonless corals. When the Earth's environment recovered and the pH levels returned to normal, they evolved back into corals with skeletons, continuing to survive resiliently in different forms.
CO2 Reaches 650ppm, Coral Skeletons Dissolve
Now, with global warming worsening and no signs of Earth's temperature decreasing, coupled with the continuous surge in CO2 levels, the rate at which coral skeletons dissolve has accelerated.
Fang Lixing mentioned that the current atmospheric CO2 concentration has risen from 280ppm during the Ice Age to 380ppm. If CO2 levels double to 560ppm, coral skeleton calcification will decrease by 40% to 80%. If it continues to rise rapidly to 650ppm in the future, corals with skeletons will disappear from the Earth.
He lamented that while humans can attempt to save corals through breeding, cultivation, or creating new habitats with more proactive conservation methods, without addressing the root issues of acidification and warming, it remains uncertain whether corals will avoid another extinction. Moreover, if corals die due to human inaction, is this the outcome we wish to see?
The temperature of Kenting's seawater is gradually rising with global warming, and corals, as in the past, are struggling against Earth's environmental changes. This time, how will corals evolve to adapt to such rapid environmental changes? Will new species emerge, or will breeding areas shift to temperate waters? Humans cannot predict whether corals will find a way to survive or eventually disappear, but we can at least choose to actively protect them and make decisions that benefit Earth's environment.
Source: http:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ art……url/ d/ a/ 081207/ 57/ 1aqom. html
Coral Faces Double Threat: Warming and Acidifying Seas
The sunlight shines brightly in southern Taiwan, but the coral beneath the surface of Kenting's waters is in grave danger. Coral bleaching outside the outlet of the Third Nuclear Power Plant is no longer news, but local diving instructors have noticed that coral bleaching in the entire Kenting sea area has become increasingly severe in recent years. Senior diving instructor Cai Yongchun said that even heat-resistant corals like fire coral, soft coral, and brain coral have succumbed.
Cai Yongchun directly pointed out that global warming is the culprit behind coral bleaching. As seawater temperatures rise, even fire coral, which thrives in the warmest waters near the Third Nuclear Power Plant outlet, can no longer withstand the heat and has turned white.
Excessive CO2 Leads to Ocean Acidification
Former director of the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, Fang Lixing, stated that coral survival is closely related to ocean acidification and water temperature. Acidification refers to the excessive CO2 in seawater, leading to a lower pH level, which prevents corals from forming calcium carbonate-based skeletons. High water temperatures also negatively impact coral survival.
He further explained that over thousands of years, corals have faced multiple survival crises due to global environmental changes. Research shows that while corals affected by ocean acidification in the past had their skeletons dissolved, they evolved into skeletonless corals. When the Earth's environment recovered and the pH levels returned to normal, they evolved back into corals with skeletons, continuing to survive resiliently in different forms.
CO2 Reaches 650ppm, Coral Skeletons Dissolve
Now, with global warming worsening and no signs of Earth's temperature decreasing, coupled with the continuous surge in CO2 levels, the rate at which coral skeletons dissolve has accelerated.
Fang Lixing mentioned that the current atmospheric CO2 concentration has risen from 280ppm during the Ice Age to 380ppm. If CO2 levels double to 560ppm, coral skeleton calcification will decrease by 40% to 80%. If it continues to rise rapidly to 650ppm in the future, corals with skeletons will disappear from the Earth.
He lamented that while humans can attempt to save corals through breeding, cultivation, or creating new habitats with more proactive conservation methods, without addressing the root issues of acidification and warming, it remains uncertain whether corals will avoid another extinction. Moreover, if corals die due to human inaction, is this the outcome we wish to see?
The temperature of Kenting's seawater is gradually rising with global warming, and corals, as in the past, are struggling against Earth's environmental changes. This time, how will corals evolve to adapt to such rapid environmental changes? Will new species emerge, or will breeding areas shift to temperate waters? Humans cannot predict whether corals will find a way to survive or eventually disappear, but we can at least choose to actively protect them and make decisions that benefit Earth's environment.
Source: http:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ art……url/ d/ a/ 081207/ 57/ 1aqom. html