Coral Reef's Slow Growth Worries Scientists

Widespread bleaching expected in weeks to come

(NEWSER) - This year is set to be the hottest on record and scientists warn that could spell disaster for coral reefs. Reefs around the world are bleaching—expelling the algae that give them their color—on a scale only ever seen once before, in 1998. An estimated 16% of the world's shallow-water reefs died that year and researchers believe this year could be even worse. More»

Whales store carbon in their bones, scientists say

(NEWSER) - A hundred years of whaling has released about a forest's worth of carbon into the atmosphere, researchers say. Whales serve as "forests of the ocean" by storing carbon in their bones and releasing it when they die. "When you kill and remove a whale from the ocean, that's removing carbon from this storage system," one scientist tells the BBC . If a whale dies deep in the ocean, the carbon is stored for years. More»

10% less vapor in stratosphere kept temperature increase down in 2000s

(NEWSER) - A decrease in water vapor in the stratosphere may be the reason global warming hasn't increased as fast as expected over the last 10 years. The planet warmed .18 degree from 2000 to 2009, below the forecast .25 degree. A 10% drop in stratospheric water vapor “very likely made substantial contributions to the flattening of the global warming trend,” says the lead author of a new study in Science. More»

Researchers uncover another devastating impact of global warming

(NEWSER) - Waters around the North Pole are absorbing so much carbon dioxide that acid in the ocean will soon begin dissolving sea creatures' shells, scientists warn. By 2018 10% of the Arctic Ocean will be corrosive, spelling potential disaster for the food chain as crustaceans begin to die off, reports the Telegraph. "We knew the seas were getting more acidic and this would disrupt shellfish ability to grow shells. Now we realize the situation is much worse," said lead scientist Prof. Jean-Pierre Gattuso. More»

(NEWSER) - Snorkelers and scuba divers aren’t the worst threat to the embattled coral reefs of the world—climate change, commercial fishing, and pollution take top honors—but the casual tourist can lessen, and even mitigate, the damage he or she causes, Slate reports. Of course, snorkelers shouldn’t purposefully snap off pieces of the majestic underwater life forms. But carelessly dragging equipment across coral, or walking on it, while looking for a better view is equally destructive. More»