'Hope for coral' as oceans warm (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

By Richard Black
Environment correspondent, BBC News website

Some coral reefs may be able to adapt to rising ocean temperatures, a consequence of global climate change.

Coral live in close partnership with algae, but lose the algae when temperatures rise, causing death.

Australian scientists have discovered that coral may be able to exchange their algae for varieties which can survive at higher temperatures.
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"While this is likely to be of huge ecological benefit," write Ray Berkelmans and Madeleine van Oppen, "it may not be enough to help these populations cope with the predicted increases in average tropical sea temperatures over the next 100 years.

"It may, though, be enough to buy time while measures are put in place to reduce greenhouse gas emissions."
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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5053812.stm

[eviltwin2525]

1. this ignores a basic fact

Yes, coral may be able to adapt to warmer water....but it cannot readily adapt to DEEPER water. An increase of just 20 feet in a century would probably put most coral colonies BELOW the limit of their algal partners' photosynthetic threshold; 30 feet certainly would. And, ironically, having survived the warming water they would then be subjected to much COLDER waters as the depth increases. So coral gets screwed coming and going. And with it, pretty much all life on Earth.

[PaulaFarrell]

2. can they adapt to more acid oceans as well?

oceans are getting more acid as they absorb more CO2 - I thought that was what was killing the coral

[eppur_se_muova]

3. My understanding is that its temps -- but I'm no marine biologist.

Acidity would also be damaging to anything that relies on calcium carbonate to form a shell or skeleton. I believe that the early earth supposedly had more acidic oceans, and that early invertebrates relied on calcium phosphate for their hard parts, as CaCO3 won't precipitate from more acidic water. Again, this is not something where I could be called an expert, just remember that little part of the discussion.