In the news

[Dramad1]

http://www.theverge.com/2015/2/4/7978591/humans-are-helping-coral-evolve-to-survive-climate-change

[seabass]

Interesting. Still any manipulation makes me a little nervous. Would they manipulate all species of coral or just a few? Will modified coral be able to out compete non-modified coral? Do these bleaching events actually play any role in perpetuating the species, adapting to change, or passing along traits to other coral (or are they 100% negative)?

 

The idea of repopulating the reefs with more tolerant specimens has been/is being explored by reef restoration projects. The idea is to use the most hardy specimens to repopulate the reefs with. I'm a little more comfortable with this method as it involves adaptation version manipulation.

 

For anybody that doesn't feel the Endangered Species Act will protect significantly more species in the future, all we have to do is read articles like this one in order to see their line of thought regarding the need for protection.

 

'The climate is changing too rapidly for coral reefs to adapt...'

 

'... climate change demands it." Even if these methods work, she says, "We’ll never be able to preserve everything.'

 

'Coral reefs in the Caribbean, Australia, and elsewhere have seen drastic declines in recent years, as ocean water gets warmer and more acidic. They’re also under pressure from pollution, like nutrient runoff, and invasive predators, like coral-eating starfish. In Australia, a recent survey found that the Great Barrier Reef had lost over half its initial coral cover, and another study predicted that coral could decline to under 10 percent if warming trends continue.'

 

'... we need to focus on reducing CO2, but we should also think about new ways of coping with change that at this point is inevitable.'

 

Here's a recent/related article: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/01/151015/coral-reef-death-climate-change-science-animals/

[amphipod]

Hey, I'd given that idea out in some threads before of slective breeding corals, and I never even knew of this project. Anyone remember, if nobody remembers I'll find the thread i posted it in.

[Dramad1]

Just found it an interesting read, related link is also Interesting. Gotta agree with the quote above!