The coral reef crisis: The critical importance of <350 ppm CO2

MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN

卷:58

Editorial Material

Veron, J. E. N.¹  Hoegh-Guldberg, O.²  Lenton, T. M.³  Lough, J. M.⁴  Obura, D. O.⁵  Sheppard, C. R. C.⁷  Spalding, M.^8,9  Stafford-Smith, M. G.¹  Rogers, A. D.^6,10 

[1] Coral Reef Res, Townsville, Qld 4811, Australia

[2] Univ Queensland, Ctr Excellence Coral Reef Studies, Brisbane, Qld, Australia

[3] Univ E Anglia, Sch Environm Sci, Norwich NR4 7TJ, Norfolk, England

[4] Australian Inst Marine Sci, Townsville Mso 4810, Australia

[5] CORDIO E Africa, IUCN Coral Specialist Grp, Mombasa 80101, Kenya

[6] Zool Soc London, London NW1 4RY, England

[7] Univ Warwick, Dept Biol Sci, Coventry CV4 7AL, W Midlands, England

[8] Nature Conservancy, Newmarket CB8 8AW, Suffolk, England

[9] Univ Cambridge, Dept Zool, Cambridge CB2 1TN, England

[10] Int Programme State Ocean, London NW1 4RY, England

关键词: Coral reefs;    Global warming;    Mass bleaching;    Ocean acidification;    Corals;    Climate change;    Mass extinctions;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.marpolbul.2009.09.009

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

Temperature-induced mass coral bleaching causing mortality on a wide geographic scale started when atmospheric CO2 levels exceeded similar to 320 ppm. When CO2 levels reached similar to 340 ppm, sporadic but highly destructive mass bleaching occurred in most reefs world-wide, often associated with El Nino events. Recovery was dependent on the vulnerability of individual reef areas and on the reefs previous history and resilience. At today's level of similar to 387 ppm, allowing a lag-time of 10 years for sea temperatures to respond, most reefs world-wide are committed to an irreversible decline. Mass bleaching will in future become annual, departing from the 4 to 7 years return-time of El Nino events. Bleaching will be exacerbated by the effects of degraded water-quality and increased severe weather events. in addition, the progressive onset of ocean acidification will cause reduction of coral growth and retardation of the growth of high magnesium calcite-secreting coralline algae. If CO2 levels are allowed to reach 450 ppm (due to occur by 2030-2040 at the current rates), reefs will be in rapid and terminal decline world-wide from multiple synergies arising from mass bleaching, ocean acidification, and other environmental impacts. Damage to shallow reef communities will become extensive with consequent reduction of biodiversity followed by extinctions. Reefs will cease to be large-scale nursery grounds for fish and will cease to have most of their current value to humanity. There will be knock-on effects to ecosystems associated with reefs, and to other pelagic and benthic ecosystems. Should CO2 levels reach 600 ppm reefs will be eroding geological structures with populations of surviving biota restricted to refuges. Domino effects will follow, affecting many other marine ecosystems. This is likely to have been the path of great mass extinctions of the past, adding to the case that anthropogenic CO2 emissions could trigger the Earth's sixth mass extinction. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

【 授权许可】

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