July 10, 2012
Coral reefs around the world are at risk due to global climate change. However, a new study may serve as a sign of hope for the long-term existence of coral reefs.
Professor Richard Aronson at the Florida Institute of Technology and his colleagues discovered, by taking core samples of a coral reef off the coast of the Pacific coast of Panama, that a 6,000-year-old reef had literally “shut down” for an extended period of time. Yet, the reef still managed to survive and flourish once corals emerged from their period of dormancy.
“These [Panamanian] reefs were shut down for 2,500 years,” Aronson says, “that represents about 40 percent of their entire history.” The study suggests that despite dramatic shifts in climate, dormant periods helped ensure long-term survival of the vibrant reefs that populate the waters off the coast of Panama today.
The ability for reefs to literally turn “on” and “off” is crucial because it shows that reefs could overcome steep changes in temperatures. Hence, Professor Aronson’s study shows that during the 2,500 years in question there were periods when the reef shutdown. Historically, Aronson found that once the climate shifted to more ideal temperature levels similar to those we see today fishes and other reef creatures, which had apparently sought refuge else where in the Pacific, returned and the reef was able to come back to life.
“What [this study] tells me is that these reefs do have hope, and if we are able to get a handle on climate change, then we might be able to save coral reefs,” Aronson says. However, John Ogden, a leading voice for reef conservation and an emeritus professor at the University of South Florida, hesitates to celebrate what the findings mean for the future of all coral reefs.
“What we’re facing in terms of climate change is unprecedented around the globe,” Ogden says. “So we don’t really know whether coral reefs are going to be able to recover from future disturbances.”
Yesterday, on National Public Radio’s morning news-show “Morning Edition” Richard Harris spoke with Aronson and Ogden about the new study and what it could possibly mean for the future of coral reefs. If you missed the segment, click HERE to listen to the full story.
Top photo: laszlo-photo/Flickr