Climate Change and the Great Barrier reef By: Brad and Croix

Climate of Australia

Average daily temperature Brad 27c=81f, 15c=59

Sunshine Length per day Brad

Melbourne averages Brad 50mm=2 inches; 70mm= 2.8inches; 10c=50f, 21c=70f, 8c=46f, 15c=59f, 27c=81f

Cairns Averages Brad 450mm=18inches; 16c=60f, 23c=73f, 21c=70f, 27c=81f, 31c=88f

El Nino Southern Oscillation What is it? Climate forcings between high and low pressure cells affecting S. Pacific sea surface temperatures and trade wind patterns Occurs in 2-10 year periods, most commonly in the range of 3-7 years Contributes to world wide weather phenomena Normal Conditions Walker cell well established Low atmospheric pressure over Aus and high pressure over South America- trade winds Warm water on australian coast El Nino conditions Walker cell breaks down Pressure difference weakens, coastal australia becomes dry and cool *Croix

Climate Change of Australia

What climate change looks like for the entire area *Croix Biggest warming in southeast while, slight cooling in northwest

Temperature increase *Croix

The Great Barrier Reef Brad

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What calls the Great Barrier Reef Home 2300 km long 2900 reefs and 900 islands 215 species of birds 30 species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises 6 species of sea turtles 17 species of sea snakes 350 coral species 4,000 species of molluscs 1,500 species of fish Brad Hundreds of thousands of animals live here

Basics of a coral reef Corals are a clear animal that secretes a hard Calcium Carbonate shell around them That shell is white, but polyps live there giving the color The abundance of life is contingent on the coral being the “primary producer” of the system (it supports the needs of the rest of the community) coral bleaching Brad

What is Coral Bleaching? Coral is subject to unfavorable conditions and loses symbiotic relationship with algae (zooxanthellae) Bleaching events trigger the coral to expel the algae causing them to be white, aka bleaching Bleaching does not always mean the death of the coral It is the duration of the bleaching event that causes permanent damage and death *Croix Short term conditions vs seasonal conditions

“There are many questions that remain unanswered “There are many questions that remain unanswered. For example, is coral bleaching a natural signal that has been misinterpreted as a sign of climate change? Has the incidence of coral bleaching increased since 1979 or has it simply been overlooked before 1979? Are bleaching events likely to increase or decrease in intensity in the next 100 years? These questions lie at the heart of debate associated with human-induced climate change and the cost that may be borne by both developed and developing countries world-wide.” *Croix

Coral reef “Tipping” Points Corals are very sensitive to their surroundings Optimal temp range is 18-25 degrees Celsius Warming temps are pushing them towards their max operational extent Dissolved CO2 lowers pH PAR and UVR have known effects when it comes to bleaching Length of fluctuating temp matters *Croix Carbonic acid dissolves Calcium carbonate Photosynthetically available radiation, ultraviolet radiation

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Predictions for the Great Barrier Reef “Present evidence, however, suggests that corals and their zooxanthellae are unable to acclimate or adapt fast enough to keep pace with the present rapid rate of warming of tropical oceans” (Guldberg, 1999) 20-30 years Sea temperatures continue to rise Bleaching events will become more and more frequent, occurring on an annual basis 50 years Distribution of reefs will change *Croix

The Importance of coral reefs Coral reefs are considered a multi-billion dollar resource Tourism They provide protection to the land from oceanic forces Source of food and business to many people around the world The link to climate change is widely accepted, meaning it is affecting ecosystems around the world Could lead to many advancements in Pharmaceutical practices. They filter pollutants out of the water like *Croix

Possible Management/Intervention Methods Reduce the acceleration of climate change Reduce Greenhouse gas emissions Create CO2 “Sinks” such as planting forests and capture methods More public awareness = better practices Legislation and regulations Research Documentation, monitoring trends There is no current solution or technology to directly reverse the changing ocean warming trend *Croix

The Hornsdale Power Reserve Goal is to stabilize the power grid during peak summer hours Located next to Hornsdale Wind Farm Charges the battery, and sells energy 3 times larger than any other battery Can power 30,000 homes for an hour during blackout Brad

Other Reefs Around the Globe Assuming ocean warming and acidification stay the same Other reefs will mimic what's happened to the Great Barrier Reef bleaching and dying Potential dissolving of all reefs Lose of 25% of marine species Lose of tourism and many jobs New reef off of amazon river mouth, facing risks from human impacts, found recently and already in danger

Sources https://australianmuseum.net.au/what-are-the-impacts-of-climate-change http://www.garnautreview.org.au/pdf/Garnaut_Chapter6.pdf http://www.environment.gov.au/climate-change/publications/factsheet-australias-2030-climate-change-target http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/glossary/seasons.shtml http://www.greatbarrierreef.org/about-the-reef/great-barrier-reef-facts/ http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/about-the-reef/reef-health http://www.publish.csiro.au/mf/pdf/MF99078 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00338-003-0353-y https://www.nature.com/articles/302295a0.pdf http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-23/worlds-most-powerful-lithium-ion-battery-finished-in-sa/9183868