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To: tsigprofit who wrote (209)	3/2/2004 12:05:10 PM
From: Skywatcher	Respond to of 1338

that's nothing...they have just predicted that the GREAT BARRIER REEF WILL BE DEAD! BY 2050!!!!!!!!!! Great Barrier Reef will be dead by 2050’ Australia’s wonder of the world faces catastrophe as sea temperatures rise By Elizabeth McMeekin THE spectacular fluorescent corals of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef could be lost forever if sea temperatures continue to rise over the next 50 years. According to a report published yesterday by academics at Queensland University in Australia, 95% of the world’s largest living organism might be dead by the year 2050. It has taken millions of years for the 345,000 square kilometres of reef to form, but if world temperatures rise even by 2˚C during the first half of this century then a large part of the reef may disappear. Considered one of the great wonders of the world, the reef is home to many hundreds of varieties of coral, as well as 1500 species of fish, many of which would be at risk if part of the reef were to die. The study, commissioned by the WWF in Australia and the Queensland Tourism Industry Council, involved experiments on the reef over the past two years. The study’s authors, coral expert Ove Hoegh- Guldberg and his father Hans, an econ omist, have explored four possible scenarios for the reef over the next 50 years. They have concluded that, even under the most favour able assumptions, it is likely that only 5% of the coral will be alive in 50 years’ time. “This is the only plausible conclusion if sea temperatures continue to rise,” the report said. “There is little evidence that corals can adapt fast enough to match even the lower projected temperature rise. The Great Barrier Reef is perhaps the best managed marine park in the world, but it’s not immune from climate change. “We are at risk of seeing the most pristine coral reef system degrade over the next few decades, with seaweed taking over from coral, and drastic changes to fish populations and biodiversity generally.” On top of the environ mental threat, the decline of the Great Barrier Reef would affect tourism in Queensland and the rest of Australia. The reef is Australia’s top tourist destination, generating more than $800 million from visitors who take advantage of diving, snorkelling and reef excursions. The report concluded that much of this revenue would be lost if the predicted decline takes place. “Reef-interested tourism is estimated at around two-thirds of the total tourism gross product, but higher in the far north [of Australia],” the report stated. “This base is critical for the wellbeing of large numbers of Australians. It is currently at risk from climate change and associated coastal human impacts.” The report highlights other problems that may be harming the coral, including chemical pollutants from farms and the parasitic crown-of-thorns starfish, which endangered the reef in the 1970s. UK coral expert Murray Roberts of the Scottish Association for Marine Science, says that although temperature is the main worry, it is vital other issues do not get overlooked. “Coral is extremely sensitive,” he added. “It acts as a litmus test for things that are happening in the environment at large. This is because when you raise the temperature, even a small amount of the coral gets stressed and bleaching occurs.” Coral bleaching happens when the colourful algae living inside the coral leave it. The result is a white shell, making it look as if all the colour has been drained from the area. “Bleaching means that the coral’s whole nutritional balance goes awol and the entire system collapses,” Roberts said. Dr Richard Dixon, a specialist in global warming at WWF Scotland, agrees that the Great Barrier Reef is facing a crisis. “Coral is always one of the first things to react to changes in global temperature,” he said. “The most likely change would be that global temperature will increase by 3.5˚C by 2100, but there is a range of possibilities and it could be higher, causing even more damage.” However, Dr Daphne Fautin, a world-renowned coral expert from the University of Kansas in the US, disagrees that global warming will necessarily spell disaster for the reef. “There is evidence to suggest that not all coral dies after bleaching,” she said. “The fact is that coral reefs have been around for more than 225 million years and they have survived temperature changes during that period. “However, there might be a problem if this temperature rise is too rapid.” 22 February 2004 CC