Tag: climate change
-
More wind, bigger waves, changing marine ecosystems
Two recent papers find that ocean winds and waves are increasing and that such an increase in storminess would have big effects on kelp forest food webs. Intrigued? Then scoot over to SkepticalScience to read the whole post I wrote on it here. From one of the two studies (Byrnes et al 2011): If large storms…
-
Can marine reserves limit coral loss?
My former PhD student (now at Conservation International) Dr. Elizabeth Selig and I recently published a paper in PLoS One (Selig and Bruno 2010) on the effectiveness of marine protected areas in preventing coral loss. The study indicates that MPAs can, on average, reduce coral losses and in some cases promote coral growth. This is…
-
It’s not climate change, it’s ocean change!
Redrawn by John Cook with data from Murphy et al 2009. The oceans are choking on greenhouse gases. Our emissions are changing ocean temperature, pH and circulation with wide-ranging effects on biological productivity and ecosystem health. These are among the conclusions of five review articles published in a special feature on the oceans in…
-
2010 tied as the warmest year on record
Despite what a certain dishonest and corrupted scientist testified to the US congress last Monday (under oath) the earth has continued to warm over the last decade. NOAA and NASA found that 2010 tied with 2005 as the warmest year on record (yeah, that NASA, the one that brought us to the moon, sends robots to…
-
Climate Change Will Lead to the Extinction of Coral Reef Fish
One of the many factors causing the global loss of reef building corals is anthropogenic climate change, which is slowly warming the world’s oceans. When summertime temperatures are warmer than usual, corals can die from “bleaching” and disease outbreaks. This in turn is devastating for the countless organisms that inhabit coral reefs. A new paper…
-
Anchors aweigh — into hot water
There are a wide range of reasons to be concerned about the changing climate, as John has explained in recent posts. And because policies to address these challenges involve very large stakes, economically speaking, the issue is mired in intense debate, skulduggery, and deviousness on a colossal scale (despite the very clear scientific evidence). But…
-
Where to learn about climate change
The availability of accurate, dependable, concise and clear information on anthropogenic climate change increases every year. This is a shortlist of my favorite sources. – JB 1) Start at SkepticalScience, easily the most informative outlet for straightforward information on global climate change. It is also one of the best science blogs on the web. Download…
-
Merchants of Doubt
I had the great pleasure of hosting Dr. Naomi Oreskes at UNC this week. She was here to give the Michael Polanyi lecture Wednesday evening (Polanyi was a scientist and philosopher famous for the development of the concept of tacit knowledge). She spoke to a packed room of 300 people about her incredible new book…
-
New study finds growth of corals on the Belize Barrier Reef is slowing
A new study just published in PLos One (Castillo et al 2010) indicates massive corals (Siderastrea sideria) on the outer reefs of the Belizean Barrier Reef are growing more slowly than they did during the early and middle 20th century. Lead author Karl Castillo (a post doc in my lab) is from southern Belize near…