Guest essay by Eric Worrall
According to the Australian ABC, despite the ravages of global warming, most tropical coral islands in the Pacific Ocean which were investigated by the University of Auckland are maintaining their size or growing larger.
Hundreds of Pacific Islands are getting bigger despite global warming
Pacific Beat / By Marian Faa
New research says hundreds of islands in the Pacific are growing in land size, even as climate change-related sea level rises threaten the region.
Scientists at the University of Auckland found atolls in the Pacific nations of Marshall Islands and Kiribati, as well as the Maldives archipelago in the Indian Ocean, have grown up to 8 per cent in size over the past six decades despite sea level rise.
They say their research could help climate-vulnerable nations adapt to global warming in the future.
The scientists used satellite images of islands as well as on-the-ground analysis to track the changes.
Coastal geomorphologist Dr Paul Kench said coral reef sediment was responsible for building up the islands.
Dr Kench said in areas where coral reefs were healthy, enough sediment was being produced to cause islands to grow.
“The majority of islands in each of those nations has either got larger or stayed very similar in size,” he said.
“So, you know, one of the remarkable takeaways of the work is that these islands are actually quite dynamic in a physical sense.”
…
Read more: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-08/why-are-hundreds-of-pacific-islands-getting-bigger/13038430
What I don’t understand is if global warming is threatening to kill off all the coral in the Great Barrier Reef, how can Coral islands be growing larger in the Ailinglaplap Atoll, almost right on the equator?
Professor Kench did express concern about global warming. Perhaps he thinks the coral will all die away if we hit 1.5C or something.
“So, you know, one of the remarkable takeaways of the work is that these islands are actually quite dynamic in a physical sense.”
Really? You don’t say. Well I never….So they are growing AND dying. Thriving AND sick. Be gone by the end of the century AND spreading until they are!?
If I’m not mistaken than the recent 3.5 Ma are the coldest of the last 200 Ma. Maybe therefore they call them the Ice Age. If everything before the Ice Age was warmer why would corals have a problem with a warmer Earth ?
If you keep trying to make sense, you’re going to get banned by Twitter.
never used Twitter.
There you go, banned before you even start ! 😉
But be careful about answering the door in the middle of the night.
They are thriving because of more CO2
Coral polyps do not photosynthesize, but have a symbiotic relationship with microscopic algae (dinoflagellates) of the genus Symbiodinium, commonly referred to as zooxanthellae. These organisms live within the polyps’ tissues and provide organic nutrients that nourish the polyp in the form of glucose, glycerol and amino acids.[61] Because of this relationship, coral reefs grow much faster in clear water, which admits more sunlight. Without their symbionts, coral growth would be too slow to form significant reef structures. Corals get up to 90% of their nutrients from their symbionts.[62] In return, as an example of mutualism, the corals shelter the zooxanthellae, averaging one million for every cubic centimeter of coral, and provide a constant supply of the carbon dioxide they need for photosynthesis.
It is part of dialectic thinking like war is peace etc…
Clearly this is AGW’s fault! The islands were at their perfect size pre-Evil-Oil, and now they have become bloated beyond what would have been the optimum size.
Nicely spotted, Eric. David Attenborough has a new series on the BBC at the moment called ‘Perfect Planet’ and I think this will make excellent material for him. Oh…er…hang on…
We watched the first episode of that D.A. programme only yesterday here in New Zealand. For once he mentioned the greening of Earth through increasing CO2, then went on a rant showing scary views of erupting volcanoes and stating that “humans were responsible for most of the increase in CO2 which is causing dangerous warming and rising sea levels”. I cannot believe that he honestly believes that nonsense, and he does not have the excuse which many people have that he just believes what he is told by the MSM. Unfortunately, to many uncritical minds, he is the font of all knowledge about nature -whereas to me he is a demented deliberately-lying huckster!
Good description Mike, a demented deliberately lying huckster sums him up perfectly.
For a second, I thought you were talking about China Joe Biden. Also known as Beijing Biden.
Or maybe Bill Nye, the”science” guy.
Of course he is lying. I he does not he will lose his funding.
DA is a useful idiot when it comes to climate change, probably as a True Believer, if he had shown any scepticism then someone else would have been selected to do the narration.
Sadly a few decades ago someone else was doing the good work at BBC – David Bellamy – until they banished him for telling the truth about global warming and DA became the compliant new green hero.
David Attenborough, a once-great presenter who is now a patron of the anti-human Population Matters AKA The Optimum Trust.
Actually Earth isn’t perfect after all. According to a fairly recent study the optimum conditions for life would be five degrees C warmer than Earth.
Chris
If Nat Geo, PBS, etc. or the BBC mention a show with words like Arctic, “planet” or Attenborough in titles or descriptors, I do not watch any part of it.
All of them, including Attenborough prefer telling huge falsehoods. All in the name of donations.
Not seen this on ABC TV News casts yet, oh wait, does not support the narrative. Most people have been forced in to worrying about wearing face nappies, the ones that are totally ineffective at stopping viral particles that are .02 microns or less. And yet, there are people who support cloth masks, sorry, face nappies. The mind boggles! Mind you most people don’t know how small .02 microns is.
The most recent studies show mask wearing has no impact on the propagation of COVID19. Isolation does work, however negative its impacts.
Indeed. However, when I speak of N95 (95% at ~3microns) rated masks and 2 micron gaps or larger in face masks, especially CLOTH masks and then talk about .02 micron virus particles being many many times smaller, they shout me down.
The argument for masks is about “droplet” size….the virus is in the droplets of saliva when a person speaks..coughs…sneezes.
Maybe 20 nanometers has more impact. 0.02 micron (non SI unit) = 0.02 um (micrometer) or 20 nm (nanometer). Love the SI system of units.
In the 80’s I used to work to +/- 2 microns so .02 microns is pretty small.
Patrick you just don’t understand the science…masks save lives!
Ignore exploding case counts and deaths where a mask mandates have been instituted.
You will assimilate or be de-platformed for being a heretic 🤓
Speaking of masks.. Japan (which is the Mosher poster child of using masks to stop CV) is evidently having some issues with their masks:
Well, there are masks and there are masks. 😉 Or as the Powers That Be calls them, “face coverings”. So somehow that paper napkin with ear-loops or the turtleneck you pull up over your nose will block both incoming and outgoing sub-micron particles. It’s the law, don’t you know? Forget about the accumulation of germs, spittle, CO2, mucus, etc. in a warm, moist vapour pocket directly in front of your nose and mouth.
Masks work better at preventing sneeze particle distribution than a wet hankie or sneezing into your elbow, for which everyone has seen the mucosal evidence. Past that, their effectiveness regarding inhaling someone else’s sneeze particles is over-rated. Covid19 is so contagious that filtering out 95% is about as effective as staying in the grocery store half as long…..
“despite” => “because of”… ?
“independent of”
Yep, probably.. 🙂
How can something be threatened by something that has never been a threat? When are people, generally, going to realize the fact that there isn’t one iota of fact, truth relating to AGW or the equivocal term “climate change” that hasn’t been completely corrupted? There is no greenhouse effect, at least none that matters. There has never been anything but completely mundane natural variation and a whole load of opportunist media, politicians and either corrupt or brain dead scientists … not to mention massive gullibility.
You expect logic and intellectual consistency from Warmunists?!
or islanders wanting big bucks handouts?
New research says hundreds of islands in the Pacific are growing in land size, even as climate change-related sea level rises threaten the region.
Exactly the phrase I copied out to comment on. “…climate-change related sea level rises threaten…” The implication is anthropogenic warming is causing sea level rise. Tide gauges around the world demonstrate that sea level has been increasing since early in the 19th century. Brest France began keeping records in 1807.
Pardon my ignorance
The column on left is what, millimeters?
If so, sea has risen ~200mm in 200 years
And a lot of variation up AND down over decades
“How can something be threatened by something that has never been a threat?”
Yes, coral reefs have been around when the sea level was much higher, and much lower, than today. Coral reefs adjust to the sea level whether it goes higher or lower.
Alarmists don’t seem to be able to understand this concept. Or maybe it is willful ignorance, in pursuit of a political goal, in some cases.
Or maybe it is willful ignorance, in pursuit of a political goal, in some cases.
Nailed it! It’s the same reason why they rarely want to debate the issues. I believe most of them strongly suspect the science is on shaky ground, but are generally willing to look the other way each time a prediction of impeding catastrophe fails to occur.
“I believe most of them strongly suspect the science is on shaky ground”
Well, if they don’t, they are not very good scientists.
Marian Faa is a good little obedient journalist.
This has been known for a long time, rising warm waters assist coral filter feeders to thrive.
Glaciation and falling sea levels destroy coral reefs.
This does not fit the doomed planet narrative but it is good that the ABC is doing its job and reporting it.
https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/dec19/noaa-launches-mission-iconic-reefs-to-save-florida-keys-coral-reefs.html
‘But in the last 40 years, healthy coral cover in the Florida Keys reefs has declined more than 90 percent. This decline can’t be blamed on a single cause, but rather a web of interconnected problems. Misplaced boat anchors and ship groundings crush healthy reefs. Pollution makes it difficult for corals to survive, while overfishing damages the fish populations that are necessary to maintain reef health. Storms like 2017’s Hurricane Irma can rip corals from their foundations and smother those that remain with sediment. In recent years, afflictions like stony coral tissue loss disease have killed off huge percentages of once-healthy coral. And if all this wasn’t enough, the coral reefs of the Florida Keys also must contend with climate change: elevated ocean temperatures cause bleaching in corals, which can compromise their health or even kill them.’
But it is the warm Gulf Stream that keeps them alive. When have we ever had a cold gulf stream?
https://earth.nullschool.net/#current/ocean/surface/currents/overlay=sea_surface_temp/orthographic=-84.78,30.35,1152/loc=0.673,41.645
Charles Darwin worked this out 150 years ago. Alarmists don’t seem to understand this.
That’s right, Graemethecat, that is why it is common to read “Charles Darwin: Voyage of HMS Beagle” in Graduate level Philosophy of Science classes. As a MSc student I certainly read it and was struck (impressed) by the reasoning Charles Darwin applied to realize evolution was at work. Today they teach “white silence is violence” instead.
Ron,
I agree. One of the key modules I took for my first degree was History of Science.
It was a critical part of my education to see how ideas (models) such as the Ptolemaic System of Astronomy can dominate science for centuries, be grounded in observations (data) and yet be completely wrong in predictive application.
Does this sound familiar?
“New research says hundreds of islands in the Pacific are growing in land size, even as climate change-related sea level rises threaten the region.”
Doesn’t seem much of a threat then does it?….. one might go so far as to say that the “threat” has been exaggerated, which might make one think how many other such claims are being exaggerated too?
“…which might make one think how many other such claims are being exaggerated too?”
Name one that isn’t.
Please! Somebody describe the specific threats to the region of sea level rise. And what is the relation to those threats to mankind’s production of CO2? If you are going to use model projections, please specify the CO2 production scenario and the ECS of the model used.
I would have thought that sea level rise would result in cooler water at coral reefs.
Let me get this straight. 70+ years of AGW has no discernable negative impact to Pacific atolls. However, future AGW will negatively impact Pacific atolls. Show me the numbers!
Unless you include thermo-nuclear test blasts in the ’50s as AGW 🙂
Even then, the reefs regenerated back to original size & health all by themselves in ~ 60 years.
I reckon the null hypothesis for heat exposure to coral reefs holds.
Just curious.
I’m interested to see if there is any army Corp of engineers survey of war time airstrips n the pacific.
Two infamous locations are bunker at The Point on Peleliu and the bunkers on Tarawa.
Theses bunkers were built on the waterline adjacent to the airfields.
After 75years they are still there.
Thanks in advance
Please don’t confuse the discussion with facts, Waza.
(Snipped) SUNMOD
(Snipped the e-mail address) SUNMOD
They say “their research could help climate-vulnerable nations adapt to global warming in the future.” What adaptation is needed. If the atolls are growing there is nothing to adapt to and hence no problem and hence no need for more research hence go get a real job
one of the islands “adaptations” was a new jetty
built so high that they cant load /unload easily
cos
projected sealevel rise ya know
Well, the obvious adaption needed is that you have to keep extending the jetty.
and maybe plan for a small train track in order to assist with the increasing walk from your seaside home to the beach/jetty.
oh the problems you have when you’re wealthy.
stay sane,
willem
PS, any ideas on what to do when WUWT gets de-platformed ?
“PS, any ideas on what to do when WUWT gets de-platformed ?”
I imagine Parler will be showing us the way.
I registered on Parler two days ago and Amazon kicks them off the internet the next day. It wasn’t my fault! 🙂
It’s time for a conservative server farm or two to get up and running.
“It’s time for a conservative server farm or two to get up and running.”
It’s past time and will be a good investment for somebody(s). Unfortunately the next step for the Marxists will be to control internet traffic/availability.
We need a conservative cloud.
According to Business Insider, Parler is negotiating with the “Free Speech-focused site” Cloudrovia to be its new host.
Exactly! How does this help them adapt to anything other than perhaps help them realize that they should ignore the fear-mongers going forward?
I have just listened to the UK Defence Minister and the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Carter, saying the biggest threat to the UK and the World is ‘disinformation’.
Where does Catastrophic Climate Change sit in this ‘threat assessment’ and are they both aware of it?
Well, there’s disinformation and then there is disinformation. I wonder what their disinformation focus is on?
Who is the arbiter of disinformation?
Fixed that for them.
I am really getting worried now. With all these islands in the Pacific growing at such a rapid rate, some 8% in just six decades, the Pacific Ocean is clearly being reduced and will eventually dry up due to Man Made Climate change induced island expansion.
Is there no end to our suffering.
The whole Pacific risks becoming just one great big Kiribati!!!
See, they were right all along those climate alarmists. The corals are dying because the sea is being eaten up by coral island growth it’s a new thing to worry about?. I am going to invest in private aviation so I can go check all of this out, move over Bill another sceptic coming through…
It’s the new Aral Sea.
Some years ago Willis Eschenbach wrote an excellent article for WUWT entitled “Floating Islands” in which he described the dynamic nature of coral islands. I think it would be great to see it re-posted for those who didn’t read it first time around
And we know that If islands float and weigh the same as a duck, then they are witches.
Except when they’re in danger of tipping over … like Guam, for example /sarc
saw this and had a huge laugh the other day
has abc radio etc spoken of it?
NOPE
It’s the modeled ravaging that keeps me awake at night, not reality.
Trust the science, lot of people knew that 😀
So, what is new about ?
But don’t you know? You are only supposed to trust the science that reaffirms the government’s power to control everything. If it doesn’t, it isn’t trustworthy or something.
Kind of reminds me of a quote I love: “The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.” – Mencken
I see, you miss my /sarc tag 😀
I saw, I was just adding some sarcasm on top of it.
It is obvious from the press releases that “science” has different meanings to the politicians than to those who have studied it. The poor layman has no chance whatsoever.
I generally like your comments, I am just so tired of being told that I don’t know science by people that can’t spell physics (politicians), that I sometimes sound like a grouch.
“They say their research could help climate-vulnerable nations adapt to global warming in the future.”
They already have. These “climate-vulnerable nations” have been spending their climate-injustice handouts on new airports, hotels and resorts and asking for more of the same. It’s almost as if they knew, being as they are familiar with their homelands, that there never was a problem to begin with.
But wait!.. I’ve just had an epiphany.. if these islands are expanding they must be displacing the water, causing the sea level to rise! They are the cause of their own problem! OK, that’s nonsense, but it’s more plausible than “it’s CO2 wot dunnit”
Duuh! What Charles Darwin noted in the 1840’s, that if the corals can grow faster than the sea level rise, the atoll will stay at the same level relative to the sea level.
Sorry, it’s too late. We entered the event horizon for truth getting out some time ago in the Climate Crusades.
With the recent deplatforming of Parlar when do the pitch forks come for sites like this?
Skeptics may win the debate and lose everything.
I suppose Loydo and Griff would be ok with that.
“With the recent deplatforming of Parlar when do the pitch forks come for sites like this?”
I imagine calls for deplatforming skeptics will start about the time that Traitor Joe puts forth his Human-caused Climate Change plan. He says he is going to declare a national emergency over it, and that would be the time to call for silencing the critics who are, in effect, directly opposing a national emergency.
We’ll have lots to talk about in the near future.
There’s always Usenet. 🙂 At least, so far. I wouldn’t put it past the radical Democrats to try to exercise control over everything they can manage including the entire Internet (like the Chicoms do).
But, there’s at least 75 million Americans who will oppose such moves, so. we’ll see what happens. The radical Democrats are in the process of showing the world their very ugly face. Perhaps the majority of the American people won’t like what they see.
alt.climatechange.wattsupwiththat 🙂
sci.climatechange.wattsupwiththat, might be better.
I laughed out loud when I read the title to this article!
Coral reef decline is another failed claim of the climate alarmists.
Couple of points:
“Coral reefs” is something of a misnomer. Most of the Pacific and Indian ocean attols are made up of calcaerous alage and encrusting formainifera. There are corals present but in most but not all cases they are in the minority as deep drilling has shown.
Darwin has been mentioned by other commentors. The book concerned is not “The Voyage of the Beagle” but “Coral Reefs”, preferabaly the first edition. In Darwin’s day the origin of atolls was a major scientific puzzle. Intriguingly Darwin had worked out his proposed solution long before he ever saw an atoll. He never sighted one in the entire crossing of the Pacific. His first was in the Indian Ocean where he believed his ideas were confirmed. Essentialy his proposal is that the reef creatures grow ever upwards towards the light.
Darwin’s received plaudits on high for his proposal following its initial publication but then he proposed ideas on evolution. At that point all his thinking came under savage attack and major scientific leaders of the day set out to destroy his ideas on coral reefs.
It will never sink in with the control freaks that this planet we live on is far more powerful than they are and can wipe us all out in the blink of an eye. Don’t move next door to a volcano, for example.
Ravages of global warming. What would that be that is not natural!
Sea levels and atmospheric pressure will now rise because of islands growing displacing sea water and air. This will cause a shift in tectonic plates and release organic carbon into the atmosphere. Pluto is on a collision course with Earth caused by a shift in magnetic field causing an unbalance orbit and rotation.
How much of the growth was due to CO2 fertilization?
Their research sounded like give us more money so we can research more..
Went to Tidbinbilla tracking station yesterday in NSW Australia. CSIRO run the station on behalf of NASA. The NASA videos re ice melt in Greenland and sea level rise were firmly anchored around alarmist propaganda rather than even handed scientific research. Stomach churning to watch given that school excursions get fed these videos during their visits.
The good professor might need to take bodyguards next time he visits these islands, these findings do not support the climate reparation shakedown racket.
Be careful getting between governments and “free” money
“What I don’t understand is if global warming is threatening to kill off all the coral in the Great Barrier Reef, how can Coral islands be growing larger in the Ailinglaplap Atoll, almost right on the equator?”
The uptake of CO2 by the ocean, which causes its acidification and ultimately weakens corals, is not constant across the ocean’s surface but depends on multiple factors including temperature.
One can guess that water at the equator is warmer than elsewhere, this absorbs less carbon, thus is less acid, thus endangers corals less.
Again, just a guess.