Coral reefs in the Red Sea, north of Jeddah. Photograph: Hassan Ammar/AFP/Getty Images
The world's coral reefs will begin to disintegrate before the end of the century as rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere make the oceans more acidic, scientists warn.
"The world's coral reefs will begin to disintegrate before the end of the century as rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere make the oceans more acidic, scientists warn.""The research points to a looming transition in the health of coral = ecosystems during which the ability of reefs to grow is overwhelmed by the rate at which they are dissolving."
"More than 9,000 coral reefs around the world are predicted to disintegrate when atmospheric carbon dioxide levels reach 560 parts per million. The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere today stands at around 388ppm, but is expected to reach 560ppm by the end of this century." Via The Boing2 ala-algore
Haase - Perhaps a little green fear mongering?
Yet the largest percent of life on earth resides in the oceans and seas we use as our primary dumping grounds... without the typical 'carbon/warming scare tactics' our oceans will require vast protective measures if we want to continue calling this planet 'home' .
