Are Coral Reefs Doomed…

[Reefer Matt]

There are believers and deniers of receding reefs. Many hobbyists don’t care about the ocean, which I find concerning. That’s why I believe that the reefing hobby will one day be heavily restricted or outlawed in certain areas. Special interest groups will likely keep lobbying for legislation against collecting and selling coral, and it may get more traction if the reefs keep receding.

As far as repopulating the reefs, it is a noble effort. However I am not convinced it will be scaled up enough to make a large enough difference. I hope I’m wrong about that.

 

[GARRIGA]

There are believers and deniers of receding reefs. Many hobbyists don’t care about the ocean, which I find concerning. That’s why I believe that the reefing hobby will one day be heavily restricted or outlawed in certain areas. Special interest groups will likely keep lobbying for legislation against collecting and selling coral, and it may get more traction if the reefs keep receding.

As far as repopulating the reefs, it is a noble effort. However I am not convinced it will be scaled up enough to make a large enough difference. I hope I’m wrong about that.

Been collecting, breeding and selling reptiles since the early 90s. This plight to eliminate the keeping of any life is utterly irritating and why I transitioned from selling wild caught to breeding. You’d think as with fragging they’d just leave us alone because our actions no longer impact wild populations and if anything take pressure off taking from them.

Although I’m not one to believe captive can be used to populate wild populations I am seeing where that’s the practice locally around the world and barring weather concerns seems to be working to some extent. Although my mindset being we likely aren’t domestically producing hat tolerant species quick enough to solve it. Evolution doesn’t work that fast and rising temperatures in south Florida have severely affected my breeding process as now it gets warm too early and liters are lost due to it. Sad but reality

 

[ninjamyst]

Yes. We are all hoarding collectibles. Corals gonna be the new furby craze

 

[Asagi]

I once read that 99.9% of everything that has ever lived on earth has gone extinct.

 

[Hats_]

I was in the Caribbean last year for research purposes and you can't say that that is whats about to come for the rest of the reefs in the world. For the Caribbean and Florida keys reefs it is a combination of a multitude of factors: pollution from rivers, die-off of urchins due to pathogen introduces thanks to the panama canal and the outbreak of white band disease. Add to that higher temperatures and a low species diverisity from the beginning and you have one heck of a coral-killing cocktail.

I think that coral reefs will adapt, they may disappear in some areas but eventually some species will adapt, in the red sea there are already heat tolerant corals for example

 

[GARRIGA]

, in the red sea there are already heat tolerant corals for example

But heat tolerant to what extent? 101 degrees?

 

[Hats_]

But heat tolerant to what extent? 101 degrees?

https://aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/lno.11715 have a read id say, pretty interesting stuff!

 

[GARRIGA]

https://aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/lno.11715 have a read id say, pretty interesting stuff!

Haven't read the entire article but noticed it mentioned 32c being upper tolerance and death at 34.5c which is only 94 degrees. What affected the corals in the video I provided was a heat wave of 101. Granted there may have been other affecting concerns as you mentioned but seems main cause being the 101 degrees and was a shallow spot therefore not expecting 101 at depth yet even Red Sea specimens failed at 94 degrees.

Assuming world wide temperatures continue top climb then probable 34.5c might be breached even in the Red Sea.

Had seen a video on this but don't recall why this region may have evolved to contend with higher temps. Would be interesting if through CRISPR genetic splicing this trait can be spread world wide and perhaps advanced in the captive farms where they are currently experimenting with advancing corals better suited for higher temps. Hopefully they don't end up creating some nuisance that out competes everything else out as has been the trend historically.

 

[Reef Puncher]

just had an hour long conversation with my brother in law, convincing him that indeed, corals are dying, ice caps shrinking, earth getting hotter, and he tried to tell me that im brainwashed with main stream media, and there is no such thing happening. this is the world we live in now.

 

[zheka757]

I'm sure this isn't the first time earth is experiencing heat waves..... corals will survive just fine, there is deep water corals that temperature has no effect on them because it more cooler in deeper waters, even is surface water temps are high

 

[JayM]

just had an hour long conversation with my brother in law, convincing him that indeed, corals are dying, ice caps shrinking, earth getting hotter, and he tried to tell me that im brainwashed with main stream media, and there is no such thing happening. this is the world we live in now.

Judging from your overall tone, I’m gonna guess it’s more likely that your BIL believes nature has more of an impact on these things than humans do rather than believing these things aren’t happening at all.

But FWIW, it’s a darn good thing for all of us that the earth warmed up:

 

[revhtree]

This thread has turned political and topics like these don't even turn out well. Closing this to align with our TOS. Thank you.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

Rev, you mightve forgotten to click the correct button.