Scientists predict severe bleaching in the Great Barrier Reef

The Sydney Morning Herald 18 Dec 08;

Northern parts of the Great Barrier Reef is likely to suffer severe coral bleaching this summer, the conservation group WWF Australia warns.

A report from the US government's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasts severe bleaching for parts of the Coral Sea, the Coral Triangle and the reef, WWF said.

The Coral Triangle is home to 75 per cent of all known coral species and covers waters from the Philippines to Malaysia and Papua New Guinea.

WWF's climate change expert Richard Leck said the bleaching would impact on tourism, food supply and livelihoods in northern Queensland and South East Asia.

"The bleaching, predicted to occur between now and February, could have a devastating impact on coral reef ecosystems, killing coral and destroying food chains," Mr Leck said.

"There would be severe impacts for communities in Queensland, Australia and the region, who depend on the oceans for their livelihoods.

"More than 120 million people rely on its marine resources."

He said there would be significant impacts on Cairns and Port Douglas where the reef's tourism was centred.

Large scale coral bleaching was expected to happen regularly if average global temperatures rose at least two degrees Celsius.

Mr Leck said the latest data showed how important it was for Australia to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.

The WWF and many other environmental groups have condemned the Rudd government's carbon pollution reduction scheme as weak.

The government this week announced a 2020 carbon reduction target of at least five per cent, but was open to a higher target if a global consensus could be reached.

Hot summer will bleach Coral reef
Jennifer Macey, ABC News 19 Dec 08;

TONY EASTLEY: Predictions of a long hot summer may please many Australians but it's not good news for one of the country's top tourist attractions.

There's a high risk the Great Barrier Reef will suffer severe coral bleaching with sea temperatures expected to be above average.

Meteorologists in the US and Australia have used satellites to predict the death of corals in the Great Barrier Reef and in the Coral Sea.

Jennifer Macey reports.

JENNIFER MACEY: It's only the start of summer but satellite images show sea surface temperatures in the Coral Sea are already higher than average.

The Bureau of Meteorology and the American National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have both forecast a high risk of coral bleaching this summer.

Dr Russell Reichelt is the chairman of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.

RUSSELL REICHELT: They're likening the conditions that we're looking at this summer now to be same as they were in 1998 when a very large global event occurred where 16 per cent of world's coral reefs died from coral bleaching.

JENNIFER MACEY: Ten years ago, half of the Great Barrier Reef was affected by coral bleaching but only five per cent suffered permanent damage.

Dr Reichelt says reefs can recover from bleaching if they don't face further stresses from pollution, over-fishing or repeated hot weather events.

RUSSELL REICHELT: Things like poor water quality running off the land should be cleaned up. Things like damaging corals from anchoring on corals should be prevented. We want a healthy reef to be able to withstand the pressures that are happening from the global warming.

JENNIFER MACEY: Professor Terry Hughes is the director of the Australian Research Council Centre for Excellence for Coral Reef Studies. He says if the warmer temperatures last for more than two months there's a serious risk of coral dying.

TERRY HUGHES: If you lose the structure that the corals provide through their skeleton then fish populations inevitably decline as well.

JENNIFER MACEY: He says bleaching is a clear sign of global warming.

TERRY HUGHES: It's important to remember that for coral reefs, global warming is not some distant threat that might or might not happen in the future. It's already happening. So the Great Barrier Reef has already bleached twice and there's a very good chance that this year will be the third major bleaching event to impact on the Great Barrier Reef.

JENNIFER MACEY: Environment groups accuse the Federal Government of ignoring the reef in its response to climate change this week.

Richard Leck is from the Conservation group WWF Australia.

RICHARD LECK: What would be a horrible irony of the release of the emissions trading system targets this week would be to see a taste of things to come in the future, of more severe and frequent bleaching events. And that's what will happen unless we get action on climate change - significant reductions, not five per cent reductions.

JENNIFER MACEY: Marine biologist Professor Terry Hughes agrees.

TERRY HUGHES: We've got to sharply reduce CO2 emissions and if we don't do that then we will lose the Great Barrier Reef. We've got 10 to 15 years to significantly reduce CO2 emission. We need to do better.

JENNIFER MACEY: But scientists stress that a cyclone or winds that may cool water temperatures could also prevent a major bleaching event this summer.

TONY EASTLEY: Jennifer Macey.