I've been away for a few months but this morning I saw a heartbreaking report while watching CurrentTV that deserves further attention.
In Feb. of 2004 National Geographic Magazine did a story on the Phoenix Islands Coral Reef system which stated
"Incredible—I've never seen anything like it!" said David, a specialist in coral reefs who has spent more than a thousand hours underwater studying ocean life. I also was deeply moved. As vice president for global marine programs at the New England Aquarium, I've made it my goal to find Earth's last pockets of primal ocean, those underwater havens that have remained unspoiled as long as the ocean can remember. Here in this lagoon we had discovered such a place.
Nine months later an expedition from the Planetary Coral Reef Foundation found a horrifyingly decimated environment in this once pristine area. The lagoon's reef was dead!
More details below!
In June of 2002 biologists David Obura, Sangeeta Mangubhai, and Mary Jane Adams led the exploration that became the Feb. 2004 National Geographic Magazine article. 30 months later Planetary Coral Reef Foundation explored the area and found a completely decimated environment. The PCRF submitted a video to CurrentTV. This video shows what happened to the reef in under 2 1/2 years.
Weather data seemed to be the most likely cause of this decimation. NOAA data showed a marked increase in water temperatures during the months after the expedition highlighted in the 2004 National Geographic article.
According to the PCRF article:
For over twenty-five years, scientists have been discussing the possibility that coral reefs are the indicator of the health of the oceans and are the "early warning sign" like the canary was for the coal miners. With the well documented studies by scientists who were last in the Phoenix Islands as of July 2002 4 and the recent study by PCRF in 2004, this finding is another example indicating that an abnormal rise in sea surface temperature can cause massive mortality of reef systems
Last year HoundDog reported that 97% of the two dominant species of Caribbean Coral have been destroyed in certain regions near Florida. We need to recheck those areas also.
It's too late for the Phoenix Islands Coral Reefs, but is it too late for many of the planet's other ecosystems?