Guest essay by Eric Worrall
A study, pH homeostasis during coral calcification in a free ocean CO2 enrichment (FOCE) experiment, Heron Island reef flat, Great Barrier Reef led by researcher Lucy Georgiou has concluded that at least some Coral has the ability to regulate its own internal PH. This allows the studied coral to thrive, even in extreme acid environments.
From the conclusion of the study;
Importantly, individual nubbins exhibited near constant δ11B compositions along their major growth axis over each of the four growth periods measured, regardless of whether they were grown under treatment or control conditions (Fig. 2A and Fig. S4A). These near constant δ11B compositions equate to near constant internal pHcf (Fig. 2B and Fig. S4B), irre- spective of treatment and season and declined by less than 0.1 units per unit decrease in external pHsw (Δp Hcf =Δp Hsw= 0.067, P = 0.078, df = 36; Table S2 and Fig. 2B). This result reflects the ca- pacity of these coral to homeostatically maintain a pHcf of ∼8.4–8.6 at the site of calcification (Fig. 3) and thus near constant up-regu- lation of pHcf during the calcification process. As such, these findings are in marked contrast to earlier laboratory studies in which corals grown under stable and constant pH conditions exhibited a stronger sensitivity to ambient seawater pH, whereby pHcf decreased by up to 0.5 units for each unit decrease in ambient seawater pH. However, under the naturally and highly dynamic pH conditions within the Heron Island reef flat, corals seemingly exert a much stronger physiological control of pH, which overrides the seasonal ambient depression in seawater pH, as well as the super- imposed FOCE induced decrease in seawater pH. Reinterpretation (11) of previous laboratory work using P. cylindrica colonies under depressed pCO2 conditions (29) indicates that pH up-regulation was taking place at the site of calcification in this species; these previous experiments, however, kept CO2 constant throughout the experiment and therefore did not capture the dynamic nature of many natural reef environments.
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Regardless, the ability of pH-homeostatic coral to survive and grow in these extreme pH environments may provide them with a greater resilience to the increased levels of ocean acidification expected to occur over the coming decades and centuries.
Lucy Georgiou led an intensive study into the resilience of coral to changes in CO2 level, which challenges many of the populist assumptions about coral and CO2. Her team also re-analysed the studies of other researchers, and worked out and stated why they think other researchers got it wrong. All this while working under the auspices of the University of West Australia, Lewandowsky’s old campus.
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Better call in the all-purpose asthma sciency form fit machine run by political scientists.
Plain common sense really. In fact, I fail to see how anyone made the ‘dying corals’ meme ever work in the first place.
Corals have been around for hundreds of millions of years. They survived warmer temperatures, colder temperatures, more CO2 and less CO2. So why would any brain-dead twerp masquerading as a scientist ever believe that the future of corals was in danger from 1 or 2 degrees temperature change, or 100 or 200 ppm of CO2 change?
Why was such a stupid suggestion not slapped down from day one? The willingness of climate science go go along with this absurdity betrays the gaping and festering hole that lies at the center of this academic field.
I myself scoffed the very first time I heard it…and ever since.
One of my first conversation on the topic was with an oceanographer, and by the end of the conversation he had to admit he was not even aware that CO2 provides the carbon that makes up the shells of marine organisms!
A “coral expert” !
A degreed oceanographer!
Completely ignorant that the thousands of feet thick marine deposits the world over had an atmospheric origin.
Just watched, on Al Jazeera news, a report on coral growing in Hong Kong harbour. Totally flummoxed ‘scientists’ cannot explain how it is survi ving and thriving in those conditions.
regards, off to work.
For sure – I’ve seen Hong Kong Harbour up close, not a body of water I’d like to take a swim in.
If weeds did not grow right in peoples faces, they would warn us those have no chance either.
Instead:
http://cdn.earthporm.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/flower-tree-growing-concrete-pavement-112.jpg
http://xaxor.com/images/Flowers-growing-out-of-the-concrete-photography/Flowers-growing-out-of-the-concrete-photography15.jpg
http://xaxor.com/images/Flowers-growing-out-of-the-concrete-photography/Flowers-growing-out-of-the-concrete-photography10.jpg
http://christiansupermom.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/DSC_0405-800×536.jpg
http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/U4_TlHQPGTcYJo2DGxbSvw–/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTUwMQ–/http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/youngentrepreneurs/resilience.jpg
http://jeromefd.org/wp-current/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/MG_1998-300×200.jpg
These are people who for some reason have deluded themselves about the nature of life, and must have the idea that living things have a tenuous grasp on their environment…even though all evidence is that life is tenacious, ever present, infinitely adaptable, and ever adaptable to even the most challenging and hostile environments.
Compared to a hot parched and baked concrete surface, the ocean is as friendly to life as can be.
Hmmm. mods, any idea why this went into moderation?
That bottom photo looks like Ailanthus “tree of heaven”. Originally from China but seems to love concrete cracks in cities all over the world. A real opportunist.
Nice photos Menicholas, illustrate you point very well, thanks.
Reblogged this on Public Secrets and commented:
Once again Nature shows its remarkable capability for adaptation and simultaneously gut-punches a cherished scare tactic of the Climate Change cult.
Glad to see this, as I’ve been making the exact same point for years—coral reefs are not under threat from the mild ocean neutralization predicted over the coming century.
w.
For sure, long overdue.
Since it is well documented that ocean pH is naturally dynamic to a great degree it is not surprising that corals and other life forms would be able to manage that dynamic range without harm.
Thanks for posting this Eric. I heard about this a few weeks ago on an ABC radio news bulletin (of all places!) and I have been trying to find more information on it. The ABC would have buried this quick smart 🙂
Coral reefs are made of depositions of calcium carbonate. It needs CO2 to deposit this, doesn’t it? I wonder whether the coral reefs actually benefit from a higher concentration of CO2 or carbonic acid in the water. How does that compute with warming oceans (supposedly) and the decreasing ability to absorb CO2? Due to higher partial pressures in the atmosphere? Warmer oceans should release CO2. There should be somewhere a study to show how much CO2 can be dissolved in ocean water at a given water temperature and a given atmospheric CO2 concentration. And doesn’t the ocean have a buffer system? Wasn’t the CO2 level or carbonic acid in the oceans much higher at the end of the last ice age? So many questions…
Here’s a bit about the Red Sea…the world’s warmest I believe [willing to be corrected]
It supports a flourishing coral community….so no problem producing carbonate from CO2 in warm water
http://www.coral-reef-info.com/red-sea-coral-reefs.html
http://www-public.jcu.edu.au/events/idc/groups/public/documents/journal_article/jcudev_015627~5.pdf
Simon October 8, 2015 at 11:46 am Edit
So you are claiming that since the time that “predates the dinosaurs”, the temperature has never varied by 1°C?
Because if it had, according to you, the tuatara should have gone extinct because only one sex would be born.
Really?
So I say your claim about the tuatara is just more feel-good “we love the earth so we must be right” nonsense.
1°C will kill the tuatara?
Get real. Nature is tough, not the pansy-assed creature that you seem to imagine. You’re mistaking the tuatara for a liberal do-gooder …
w.
Simon,
Willis is right, the planet is far tougher than you think it is, and your argument is full of other holes as usual. There has only been a 0.7º – 0.8ºC rise in global T during the past century or so. That change in temperature can be found by going up or down just a little in elevation.
I really doubt that your lizard is confined to one specific altitude. Or a specific temperature range of ±1º, for that matter.
But no matter what we say, your belief cannot be changed, can it? If I’m wrong, tell me what it would take. Be specific.
Do you realise what you have stated there? You do realise that most of the interglacials were warmer than at present? The The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), occurred around 56 million years ago and lasted about 170,000 years. IT WAS HOT! Dinosaurs became ‘extinct’ 65 million years ago. You lizard survived!
The PETM saw a initial 4°C temperature rise in a matter of decades. Your lizard survived.
Shortly before Lucy Gorgeiu finished her statement.. she was FIRED…
Thanks, Phillippe. Do you have a link to her story?
w.