Australian scientists doing tests on the coral on the Great Barrier Reef have found that has been a showdown in coral growth. This has been attributed to global warming.
The Great Barrier Reef is located off the east coast of Australia and is both a heritage site and one of the countries biggest tourist hot spots.
Scientists have found that the corals growth rate has slowed by as much as 14%, this has not happened in at least 400 years. The coral is home to thousands of plants and animals which would be in danger if the coral were to slowing dwindle away. The cause of this growth slowdown is that ocean temperatures are raising and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is making the water more acidic. A UN report stated that the Great Barrier Reef “could be killed by climate change within decades.”
I have never personally been to the Great Barrier Reef so I cannot say first hand how beautiful it is but I believe it would be a great tragedy to lose such a wonderful natural monument. But the coral seems to an unfortunate casualty of global warming. We’re not going to end global warming; we’re probably going to make it worse in the future. So folks get out there and enjoy the coral while you can because 20 years from now it might not be around to offer all of its marine wonders.
http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/environment/Coral+decline+warns+ocean+changes+Australian+scientists/1134866/story.html
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