Nearly half of tropical coral species face extinction: report

half of tropical coral species face extinction: report

Meanwhile, the Great Barrier Reef has been growing for years and keeps doing so, see here:

https://www.aims.gov.au/monitoring-great-barrier-reef/gbr-condition-summary-2023-24

These experts and respected institutions participating in these political meetings always seem quite selective in the data they cover...

@Zaphod: Meanwhile, the Great Barrier Reef has been growing for years and keeps doing so, 

May be so - probably growing because the area of warm water is expanding south.

As for the more important factor - Quality and longevity of this ancient reef - according to the same sources:

Coral bleaching was observed on 73 per cent of surveyed reefs within the Marine Park. 

@Zaphod: Meanwhile, the Great Barrier Reef has been growing for years and keeps doing so, 

In addition to my previous comments about growth and the importance of longevity:

the growth is mostly from "a weedy genus of fast-growing corals known as Acropora. ... which are easily broken up by cyclones ... and worse, they’re a favorite food for COTs, a species that continues to grow more comfortable on the Great Barrier Reef as surrounding waters warm.

ifd66

As for the more important factor - Quality and longevity of this ancient reef - according to the same sources:

Well, the COP29 report is not discussing quality and longivity (how do you measure that anyway), and on the Australian gov site I referenced you can see a 30 increase, not decrease, despite the problems they discuss.

> ZaphodNov. 21  07:58 pm JST

ifd66

*As for the more important factor - Quality and longevity of this ancient reef - according to the same sources:*

Well, the COP29 report is not discussing quality and longivity (how do you measure that anyway), and on the Australian gov site I referenced you can see a 30 increase, not decrease, despite the problems they discuss.

Maybe the Aussies are taking the lead in the fight because we sure can't depend on the US being 'great' and leading the way!

@zaphod Meanwhile, the Great Barrier Reef has been growing for years and keeps doing so, see here:

Thanks for sharing the report prepared by Australia's Institute of Marine Science (AIMS). My reading of it wasn't that the GBR had been growing for years and years.

Certainly, the AIMS reported increases in coral cover but qualified (in the same sentence) that the report data was prepared before the a mass bleaching event and the impact of two tropical cyclones. Also that the coral cover over the past 36 years had "increased or decreased in response to cycles of disturbance and recovery."

The AIMS report was very clear about the recent environmental impacts:

"Above-average water temperatures (i.e. sea-surface temperature anomalies of 1–2.5°C) occurred on the GBR over the austral summer, peaking in March 2024 and resulting in the fifth mass coral bleaching event since 2016."

To me the AIMS report seems more to support the IUCN's assertions, not that 'all is fine."