Week 4 - Climate Change + Reef Flashcards
The natural Greenhouse Effect
Natural greenhouse effect on earth. solar radiation and thermal radiation balanced. Greenhouse gases absorb thermal radiation - a blanket over the earth. Equilibrium reached that keeps Earth warm
What is causing temperature increase?
Warming from greenhouse gas concentrations. Mainly methane and carbon dioxide.
What is the projected climate?
Depends on CO2 emission trajectories that range from strong and immediate action on CO2 emissions to continued high emissions “business as usual”.
What is ocean acidification?
When CO2 is absorbed by seawater, a series of chemical reactions occur resulting in the increased concentration of hydrogen ions. This increase causes the seawater to become more acidic and causes carbonate ions to be relatively less abundant.
How does ocean acidification impact calcification?
Decreases in carbonate ions can make building and maintaining shells and other calcium carbonate structures difficult for calcifying organisms.
Coral Bleaching
Coral lives close to their thermal threshold. Probability of bleaching and mortality depends on temperature and duration.
Coral Changes
Loss of coral cover, Change in Benthic composition, multiple causes, more coral bleaching.
Relationship between Coral Cover and Fish
In short term fish are fine but there are long term declines. Habitat complexity also declines.
Resilience and Recovery
When we have frequent layers of impacts (e.g cyclone and bleaching) systems are not given adequate time to recover.
How does temp influence reproduction?
Reduced spawning, no reproduction at higher temperature and low food
What is acclimation and adaptation
Acclimation is the ability of individual to adjust to new environment through phenotypic plasticity. Adaption is selection of genotypes that are best suited to new environments. Adaptation takes more time.
