Thirty years of unique data reveal what's really killing coral reefs

[EmdeReef]

I haven’t finished the whole journal article yet but 2 points to keep in mind:

1) the title of the story is an example of sensationalism; very common when reporting on many scientific matters
The original study is titled
Nitrogen enrichment, altered stoichiometry, and coral reef decline at Looe Key, Florida Keys, USA: a 3‐decade study

Not as sexy i guess lol

2) the study is specific to one area, and the findings may or may not apply elsewhere

 

[Ozzi-reef]

I’m surprised this is even debated here. We as Reefers have first hand experience with faulty heaters and struggles to keep Ph elevated on winter weekends when everyone is home and all the windows closed - the results stare at us through that half inch of glass - bleached coral and poor growth. This directly extrapolates to the tragedy unfolding in the oceans. I’ve been diving for two decades and get up to Cairns most years. The wonderland that I fell in love with in the late 90’s is a shadow of what it once was. That damage is not from something coming out of effluent pipes in LA or even Brisbane - it’s from a century of you guys (and us, to a much lesser but equally guilty per capita ratio) spewing CO2 into the atmosphere.

 

[sweat90lx]

These are the responses that should be happening about global warming/climate change.
We as Americans think we are the world when we are just a young country. A growing world population is a problem no one wants to talk about. Large scale disasters like Exxon Valdez oil spill, Chernobyl, and Fukushima will have effects for many more decades.
US politicians cannot accomplish anything with each other so getting them to work with other countries to reach a common goal isn't gonna happen.

 

[Streetcred]

Umm...not exactly sure of the accuracy of your assessment of the state of the GBR mitigation efforts...

Great Barrier Reef | WWF Australia

Great Barrier Reef | WWF Australia

www.wwf.org.au

"Farm pollution is one of the key drivers of the Reef’s decline. It smothers corals and seagrass beds and denies them sunlight, drives crown of thorn starfish and makes coral more vulnerable to bleaching. Nitrogen run-off from farms can also lead to algal blooms, which starfish larvae feed on, promoting population explosions. "

(Apologies for using newspaper articles for reference as well)

Clive Palmer's nickel refinery pumped toxic waste into Great Barrier Reef park

Company discharged toxic wastewater into world heritage area on several occasions despite being forbidden from doing so

www.theguardian.com

Clive Palmer's nickel refinery pumped toxic waste into Great Barrier Reef park

Managing and protecting the Great Barrier Reef - DAWE

Snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef We all have a common goal—protecting and managing the Great Barrier Reef for current and future generations. The Australian and Queensland governments are jointly investing more than $4 billion in protecting the Reef.

www.environment.gov.au

What the Australian government is doing to mitigate nitrogenous wastes on the GBR

There's also some indications the South Pacific islands and their respective growing populations are having some problems addressing similar issues not only with deforestation along the coast line for farming (both vegetable and livestock) but also the use of non-centralized (read: septic tank) sewage treatment.

WHO Western Pacific | World Health Organization

Promote health. Save lives. Serve the vulnerable.

www.wpro.who.int

Environmental health/relationships - World Health Organization study
"... If not properly treated, wastewater discharges threaten precious water resources and ocean reefs that sustain both villages and tourism. Solid wastes – including harmful chemicals and health care wastes – also pose challenges for island nations with limited land and few disposal options. "

There's a handful of papers out there that detail the challenges faced by the islands of the South Pacific and how they're trying to address them.

Cheers,
Ray

Thanks for posting, Ray.

First up, anything coming out of WWF in respect of the GBR is to be taken with a sack of salt. The GBR is in great condition ! We're getting used to WWF's rhetoric here in Queensland (home of the GBR) to raise funds off.

Second, farm run off from the GBR hinterland in my State is not a substantial cause of reef issues ... reference Jennifer Marohasy's work https://jennifermarohasy.com/publications/ and Professor Dr Peter Ridd who has shone the light of transparency on JCU GBR research which substantially lacks quality control ... and just won a major legal stoush over that university.

Lastly, the strength of ocean currents through the GBR sweeping south make it nigh impossible for soluble nitrogen to hang around for much time, and definitely not on the outer reefs.

 

[User1]

But the article is not talking about population in such broad term. Article describes specific factors (yes related to population) that impacted the coral reef. Its scitifice data focusing n/p ratios.
These key findings are important and more of peeling the onion to just say population and waste is the reason.
Such data can drive more research in to reducing the impact of waste via post processing as an example..
Just like in carbon emission..it was important to understand the details in emission pollution that drove innovation in pollution post filtration as an example that were later enforced on factories and power plants...

One leads to another and compounded as it grows but then again I like to keep things simple. Also I didn't say it was the sole reason. I was just saying there should be no surprise. I'll stop here because I was going to say more about food, population, and medicine but it isn't really the right place and we then would be talking semantics.

 

[Ozzi-reef]

First up, anything coming out of WWF in respect of the GBR is to be taken with a sack of salt. The GBR is in great condition ! We're getting used to WWF's rhetoric here in Queensland (home of the GBR) to raise funds off.
.

Mate, seriously, I know you guys up their have your ingrained code to paint a rosy picture and keep the tourist dollars flowing, but that’s just pure fantasy verging on outright deceit.

The folks from Blue Dive and Poseidon out of Port Douglas do a Herculean ongoing effort to hunt down the patches of reef with the least damage, and almost all of the first-timer Yanks taken out their are still blown away by the beauty (I’ve also dove on what they call ‘Reefs’ in the Caribbean so it wouldn’t be hard). But to any Marine Biologist (a couple of which I count myself lucky to call friends and dive buddies) or even a hack like me who has been out multiple times across a couple of decades the degradation is impossible to ignore.

The fantastic groves of Blue stag or no where to be seen and the diversity and colour are faded and dulled from everything else. There are still plenty of fish, but it’s not the snowstorm of colour I recall drifting through in the 90’s. That’s just talking about the censored top spots. The folks I know got to dive around Lizard Island after the last big event told me they had to replace their wetsuits after because it was impossible to wash out the stench of death-soup that soaked in diving up there for a couple of weeks.

When dove there in 2016 even the best efforts of the team could not bring us to a place where at least one in ten colonies were white or covered in algae. The last time I was up, in June 2018, the big cyclones had done a decent job reducing out the dead stuff to rubble, and some colour had rebounded on what was left, but it was not the same reef.

The Reef can recover from a once in a century heatwave blip (it’s done it before and takes around a decade), but the bleaching events are coming every second or third year now and it’s an obvious losing battle for this fading wonder of the world.

But, hey, ignore my downbeat WWF sponsored propaganda guys, just jump in the Hummer, drive down to LAX, jump on a Qantas flight and come see.

For a few more years the tour guys will take you out somewhere where something on the GBR is clinging on, and if not, well we have around 10% of the Koala population left to cuddle and the flamin Roos are still everywhere.

She’ll be right mate, no wucken fuzzies.

 

[User1]

But, hey, ignore my downbeat WWF sponsored propaganda guys, just jump in the Hummer, drive down to LAX, jump on a Qantas flight and come see.

For a few more years the tour guys will take you out somewhere where something on the GBR is clinging on, and if not, well we have around 10% of the Koala population left to cuddle and the flamin Roos are still everywhere.

She’ll be right mate, no wucken fuzzies.

Have to say your post made me laugh which is good. Terrible week but that is another story. Never the less I'm pretty sure I'd enjoy several adult beverages with you based on what you wrote. I'd be more than happy to jump on a Qantas flight and spend a couple days diving there in the warm bath water. Alas all I have here is the colder water of Northern California. Still some of the best diving in the world if I do say so myself.

Mother nature is a pretty incredible woman and will take care of it. In the mean time the world isn't ready for this discussion. Until personal bias and money is removed from the equation nothing will get done. The onus is on we the people in mass to do our part to conserve. That means being smart about recycling, using solar when applicable, and conserving in our day to day activities. Some do it, others not.

No answer other than to say great reply.

 

[Ozzi-reef]

Mother nature is a pretty incredible woman and will take care of it.

Yes she is - but only over a long enough time frame. A very very long time frame.

Life indeed got through the end of the Permian and then the KT impact. That said, our fuzzy little early Paleocene ancestors lived in a sad grey world for a fair few million years afterwards.

But they got to grow up and spawn the 6th great extinction - quite an achievement without a ten mile wide rock hurled at hypersonic speed.

I’m sure that in a hundred million years whatever digs up our crap will also wonder what the heck all the skinny moneys were up to - they might even get some inspiration to try emulate our impressive efforts to change the ecosphere themselves. But Mother will preserve as she always has - at least until the sun finally goes nova.

However she does her best work across Eons - not centuries, decades or years like we do. Our viral scale industriousness, in consumption and destruction, is irreparable by nature over time frames that are meaningful to us or our kids.

I love our hobby, I really do, but if you are are not able to close your eyes to what our species is doing to the rest of the environment, it’s hard to look at the tank than anything other than a micro Jurassic Park in the making - just a pretty remanent icon of what once was.

 

[pigmo]

...The GBR is in great condition ! ...

Lastly, the strength of ocean currents through the GBR sweeping south...

is there a button to dislike a post?

 

[sghera64]

It’s amazing how much the ocean models the cause and effect relationships and interdependencies we have seen in our captive systems. (Or do I have that backwards? )

 

[Ozzi-reef]

It’s amazing how much the ocean models the cause and effect relationships and interdependencies we have seen in our captive systems. (Or do I have that backwards? )

Yup sure is. Pity we can’t just zip down to our LFS and buy a CO2 scrubber and Chiller for the Ocean.

 

[sghera64]

Yup sure is. Pity we can’t just zip down to our LFS and buy a CO2 scrubber and Chiller for the Ocean.

And hook up an earth sized dosing pump. Maybe dose some iron supplement and balance that phosphate problem out. [emoji2957]

 

[Ferrell]

And don’t forget the cane field and farmers on the south side of Okeechobee which has been a point of contention for many of the pollutants flowing southward through the glades

 

[Tjm23slo]

From purely a political stand point, the majority of people believe the planet's climate is changing at this point for the warmer. The part where there is differences is on the impact that human existence has on this change. When I hear that the science is proven, it sound more political than scientific to me. Having one boogeyman is politically expedient, especially when you can impose a tax and have no real way to measure effectiveness of a plan. Half cocked programs come to be, which demand remediation decades after they rear their ugly heads (reference earlier post on everglade project and Mexico and cattails.

When studies like this come out, I think it adds to the discussion that human's have an impact on the environment which leads to devastation to an ecosystem. This ecosystem is required to maintain balance. This could be addressable in this particular local area. If it works or a positive change, then it is a tool which can be applied in other regions that happen to find the same conditions. If an upstream project is also in place to rebuild a failed decades old project, then you have 2 items to address the issue. If the upstream project fixes most of the issues, then the sewage system fix will be less taxed and last longer to address other waste issues.

Will this he used to help the GBR, maybe or maybe not. Local implementation and assessment would need to be applied. Could something they see/find/implement in Australia help the Keys? I don't know, but it would be another possible tool to remediate decades old decisions, that are focused, actionable, observable and measurable.

I don't think one thing created the changing climate and I don't think one thing will fix everything either.

 

[KrisReef]

When the government passes regulations to order the sun spots and gets compliance then the next thing for them to do will be to change the chemical composition of the planet to prevent the current issue with the wandering parameters. The final step will always be The Final Solution, but typically failure with the first two control steps in their programs only allows government control over this last area, so that is where they always can and do exercise their limited authority. Please be careful who you trust to watch out for the planet.

 

[LARedstickreefer]

When the government passes regulations to order the sun spots and gets compliance then the next thing for them to do will be to change the chemical composition of the planet to prevent the current issue with the wandering parameters. The final step will always be The Final Solution, but typically failure with the first two control steps in their programs only allows government control over this last area, so that is where they always can and do exercise their limited authority. Please be careful who you trust to watch out for the planet.

Government corruption and political fighting is why this problem will never be solved, especially in the USA. No one trusts the other anymore. The reefs will have to pay the price unless a smart as heck individual invents something that doesn’t raise taxes or outlaws something.

Government controls aren’t the answer. We need to motivate the public to do things differently.

I’d donate to a PROVEN cause that has been vetted well against corruption. I hate finding out my charity pays managers more than I make.

Imagine if people spent money on trees instead of politics? Imagine what the worlds billionaires could accomplish if they came together? Aliens on other planets zip around the universe, they figured it out. Think they didn’t have to overcome the same problems we are going through?

 

[kireek]

There are a lot of bitter truths in the comments my friends.I am thankful that we have a place like R2R to openly discuss them.I am also grateful to the dedicated people that study and report these important matters.
I agree that the causes in any given area must be numerous.At the same time,small changes will eventually create a impact. What I don't understand is why are we even allowed to dump into the oceans at all? It doesn't seem like a necessity like the vehicles we drive or a factory producing products. Is the dumping just horribly cheap and convenient? Is there nowhere else we can put the stuff?

 

[webmanny]

Very good research. Thank you for sharing. I think we should start doing small scale testing with aquariums and control tanks to see if we can find better fertilizer and better water treatment methods that could be scaled up to help the planet.

 

[LARedstickreefer]

There are a lot of bitter truths in the comments my friends.I am thankful that we have a place like R2R to openly discuss them.I am also grateful to the dedicated people that study and report these important matters.
I agree that the causes in any given area must be numerous.At the same time,small changes will eventually create a impact. What I don't understand is why are we even allowed to dump into the oceans at all? It doesn't seem like a necessity like the vehicles we drive or a factory producing products. Is the dumping just horribly cheap and convenient? Is there nowhere else we can put the stuff?

Dumping in the ocean is convenient and cheap. It’s gross and surprising that the USA is guilty of it, not just third world countries.

We can debate c02 and all that forever, but it’s hard to argue in favor of dumping in the ocean.

 

[Ozzi-reef]

Government corruption and political fighting is why this problem will never be solved, especially in the USA. No one trusts the other anymore. The reefs will have to pay the price

This. This is why I hold zero hope for a solution and am certain ecosphere has no alternative but to die-off to the point where that it also takes us out, to enable any possibility of recovery.

Over the past three decades we have witnessed the evolution of a near perfect culture of denialism and conspiracy. It is so deeply polarised and rooted, in not just political, but also cultural, economic and religious alliances that it is absolutely insurmountable now.