5th World Conference of Science Journalists

 Coral reefs - going, going, gone? [87:57m]: Download

PRODUCER: Louise Goggin

CHAIR: Peter Pockley, Australasian Science

SPEAKERS: John (Charlie) Veron, Daniel Gschwind, Paul Marshall

SESSION REPORT: Take your head out of the sand

By John Bohannon

“How much time do we have left?” This was one of the hard questions asked at this session. John Veron, coral reef scientist replied: “I’d say we have 10 years at most.” in which we must curb greenhouse emissions to avert disaster.

Although the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest biological structure, is in remarkably good shape, compared with other reefs around the world, action is required now.

Veron stressed that the key issue for coral reefs will be ocean acidification. As atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration rises, the pH of the ocean drops. Low pH makes it difficult for corals to build their limestone skeletons. This will make coral reefs fragile so that they would crumble in heavy seas and severe storms. Such reefs would no longer provide habitat for the myriads of animals that depend on them including fish, and lead to mass extinctions.

The amount of carbon dioxide already in the atmosphere due to human activities may be “committing the earth to destruction,” said Veron.

Daniel Gschwind from the Queensland Tourism Industry Council says that tourism operators are working to be part of the solution. The tourism industry is taking part in discussions and fostering stewardship of the reef.

The tourism industry in Australia is worth about $5 billion per year, and employs about 50,000 people —leaving aside the vital ecosystem services it provides.

Paul Marshall, from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, urged that “rather than reaching for the bottle of valium,” we must take the practical steps that are possible right now. Even if climate change cannot be averted, the “resilience” of the reef can be bolstered by removing stresses such as pollution and overfishing. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park was recently re-zoned using the best science possible, which increased protected (or ‘no-take’) areas from less than 5% to about 33%. This is also helping to build the Reef’s resilience.

Doing so is a moral imperative, said Marshall, because taking action now can mean the difference between complete disaster and a slow but steady recovery in the coming centuries.