"Global warming is transforming the Great Barrier Reef" Topic

""When corals bleach from a heatwave, they can either survive and regain their colour slowly as the temperature drops, or they can die. Averaged across the whole Great Barrier Reef, we lost 30 per cent of the corals in the nine month period between March and November 2016," said Prof Terry Hughes, Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (Coral CoE).

The scientists mapped the geographical pattern of heat exposure from satellites, and measured coral survival along the 2,300-km length of the Great Barrier Reef following the extreme marine heatwave of 2016…."
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Amicalement
Armand

Hahaha yeah that's it!

But… but… but… I thought one weather event does not a climate make?!?

One weather event does not make a climate. But 30% of corals on a 2,300 mile structure is not a weather event. Imagine losing 1/3 of the trees on the west coast of the USA. And having the trees not regrow.

The Barrier reef has changed significantly within a lifetime. Regrowth is not occurring. I expect that the reef will move south. The currents are already moving south.

"One weather event does not make a climate. But 30% of corals on a 2,300 mile structure is not a weather event"

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"Global warming is transforming the Great Barrier Reef"
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I'll let you and the author of the linked article argue amongst yourselves.

The 30% reef die off was measured from a period of study from 2014-2017. That doesn't mean it didn't start earlier, nor that it is not continuing in 2018. I doubt that is a single weather event.

The same thing is seen in other reefs, and is not localised to Australia.

It is going to be very interesting to see how the reef evolves in new conditions. Who knows what wonders will appear as a result of this evolutionary event.

As much as 27% of all monitored coral reefs worldwide have died in the last 50 years. In the next 30 years scientists expect another 30 % die off. That's dying, not evolving.

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At this short a time period, it is naive to expect an "evolutionary event" to rescue the reefs and the research and observations seem to bear that out.

There will be a succession, not evolution, among the larger species.

If there was evolution I would hope the crocodiles would become smaller, the sea wasp jellyfish go extinct, and the fish get bigger and dumber. I expect the exact opposite will happen :(

I expect the exact opposite will happen

Exactly.

The warmer waters allow a new predator, the Lionfish to exacerbate the destruction of the reefs. But again, that is not evolution. It's the rapid changes of eco-niches that certain invasive species can exploit.