Climate Change Beauty Distroyer in Corals

Coral reefs are complex biological systems, they contain some of the highest concentrations of marine biodiversity. Corals have recreational, aesthetic and resource value (many examples can be found in detail in Hall's blog 27/10/12 post. They are important ecosystems, The Coral Triangle, which is found in the Pacific, has the highest proportion of species in all categories of elevated extinction risk. This risk has been amplified by climate change, but also by human activity (Carpenter et al 2008). 
            The threats that affect the islands work on a global and local scale.
Globally:

Ocean acidification (due to increased amounts of carbon dioxide): This will increase disease and fragility in calcifying organisms; reduce ocean carbonate ion concentrations; decrease growth rate of calcifying organisms; and reduce the ability for corals to build skeletons (Mumby and Steneck 2008).
Coral bleaching (due to increased sea temperatures from global warming): Increases disease in calcifying organisms; and reduce coral-based services (Mumby and Steneck 2008).
Sea level rise (due to global warming): increases flooding, coastal erosion, reduces freshwater and land area.

Locally:
Human disturbances: coastal development; sedimentation; sewage disposal; nutrient loading and eutrophication from agro-chemicals; coral mining; and over-fishing (Carpenter et al 2008).
            From humans damaging corals and not doing enough to protect them has meant a global deterioration of reef structure and their complex ecosystems (Carpenter et al 2008).

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The affects on corals through climate change have been diverse, the one I plan to follow up on in the next post will be coral bleaching and the sorts of things I want to look at are:

- The ways in which global warming is affecting corals.
- The biodiversity impacts that have and could occur with increased damage to corals.
- The scientific issues with making assumptions and measurements on what is happening to corals.
- What prevention and adaptive methods have been put in place to control the problem

See you soon!
           

Reference

Carpenter, K. et al (2008) ‘One-Third of Reef-Building Corals Face Elevated Extinction Risk from Climate Change and Local Impacts’, Science, 321, 560-63

Mumby, P. Steneck, R. (2008) ' Coral reef management and conservation in light of rapidly evolving ecological paradigms', Science, 23, 10, 555-63

Pacific Islands; Greater Fear of Diarrhea thanks to Climate Change

Diarrhoea is often caused by a lack of safe water; water security is an issue in the Pacific Islands where they rely heavily on rainfall. Climate change is affecting weather patterns worldwide, and has affected the intensity and frequency of rainfall in the Pacific Islands.

Water shortage is a serious issue in Pacific Island States. Studies conducted in 18 Pacific states showed a positive association between annual average temperature and the rate of diarrhoea reports. This study published in 2001 was only looking at records from 1986-94, which means more recent studies should be conducted to see how climate change could be playing a roll, as the effects of climate change have become more severe in recent years. The study also looked at water availability rates also, so there was an increase in diarrhoea, temperature and a decrease in water availability, indicating Climate Change was decreasing water supply and therefore increasing incidence rates of diarrhoea (Singh et al 2001).

Another study conducted in Fiji also showed a positive correlation, using Poisson regression analysis, between diarrhoea and temperature, and diarrhoea and extremes of rainfall. (Singh et al 2001)

This threat is much less in larger Island states who often have aquifers or underground stores of water which are largely fuelled  by rainfall but are still available in rainfall shortages. (Singh et al 2001)

The Pacific Islands are situated in the EL Niño (ENSO) zone. ENSO is the strongest naturally occurring source of climate variability in the world. It already influences diseases during amplified ENSO cases, it is thought that ENSO will be affected by climate change, and that the worst areas to be affected will be in the Pacific area, this spells out bad news for the Island states who are expected to be most vulnerable to the associated changes in health risks. ENSO has already been linked to incidences of malaria in South America, rift valley fever in east Africa, dengue fever in Thailand, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in south western USA, childhood diarrhoeal disease in Peru and cholera in Bangladesh (Bouma 1996). However it should be remembered that it is currently unclear whether global warming will significantly increase the amplitude of ENSO variability. But if it does it is thought it will decrease rainfall in certain Pacific Islands and therefore increase diarrhoeal diseases. (Patz et al 2005)

References

Bouma, M. Van der Kaay, H. (1996) ‘The El-Niño Southern Oscillation and the historic malaria epidemics on the Indian subcontinent and Sri Lanka: an early warning system for epidemics’ Trop Med Int Health, 1:86–96 

Singh, R. Hales, S. de Wet, N. Raj, R. Hearnden, M. Weinstein, P. (2001), ‘The influence of climate variation and change on diarrheal disease in the Pacific Islands.’, Environ Health Perspect,  109(2): 155–159.

Patz, J. Campbell-Lendrum, D. Holloway, T. Foley, A. (2005), ‘Impact of regional climate change on human health’, nature, 438, 310-17

A global warm welcome to how climate change is affecting the Pacific Islands

We love talking and reading about things that are beautiful, take R-Patz and Blake Lively for example. Although this provides a good chat for the ordinary, we geographers prefer a different approach, and what is more beautiful than the Pacific Islands? Lustrous beaches, diverse biodiversity, seclusion and peace. However this could all change due to, the topic no geographer or Al Gore can resist talking about… climate change!

The Pacific Islands lie south of the tropic of cancer and are grouped into three sections Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. In generalised terms there are two types of island in this area, high islands and low islands. High islands are typically formed from volcanoes and usually support a larger population due to their fertile soil. Low islands are reefs and atolls and are usually small.

Small island countries are among the most vulnerable to climate change. The effects are so great due to their; location, low lying setting, population growth, and migration. These characteristics vary island to island however. Low islands are more vulnerable to the physical risks such as beach erosion, saltwater intrusion, and flooding. Whilst larger islands are at a greater threat from social changes such as population growth, mainly being immigration from smaller island states.

The blog will be exploring the physical and human impacts of climate change in the Pacific Islands as well as the coping strategies, this will mainly involve reviewing academic articles, and a cheeky add of my own opinion as well as information gathered from newspapers, videos, lectures and other internet sources which will be linked

References

Mimaru, N. (1999) ‘Vulnerability of island countries in the South Pacific to sea level rise and climate change’, climate research, 12, 137-143