Today's a new day.

[Colin_T]

Hi @Colin_T, can I discuss about coral reefs in here?

Of course you can talk about coral reefs here.

 

[elephantnose3334]

I started cycling in the 1970s and continued until January 2016 when I ended up on the street. I used a bicycle to get around because it was quick, cheap and good for the environment. I lived within 5km of a lot of shops and could cycle there just as quickly as a person could drive there in a car. The only time I didn't use the bike was when I had to carry something that was too big to have on a bike or was unsafe to have on a bike.

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I don't recall that advert but if it was on television between 2016 and now I won't have seen it because I haven't had a good television signal, if any signal at all during that time.

I like bike riding, but that's rare when I hop onto one. Used to cycle with grandad often. Grandad does ride his bike sometimes. (proceeds to play Bicycle Race by Queen) Who will win a bike race, you or me?

 

[elephantnose3334]

Of course you can talk about coral reefs here.

Now, fish on Ningaloo Reef. How many fish species have been described or lived on this reef?

 

[Colin_T]

I like bike riding, but that's rare when I hop onto one. Used to cycle with grandad often. Grandad does ride his bike sometimes. (proceeds to play Bicycle Race by Queen) Who will win a bike race, you or me?

I remember Bicycle Race by Queen. It was a good song and Queen did a lot of good songs.

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Now, fish on Ningaloo Reef. How many fish species have been described or lived on this reef?

I don't know how many different species of fish have been found on Ningaloo Reef. There's a lot of butterflyfish, marine angelfish, damsels, anemonefish, wrasses, leatherjackets/ triggerfish, box fish and heaps of different invertebrates.

 

[elephantnose3334]

I remember Bicycle Race by Queen. It was a good song and Queen did a lot of good songs.

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I don't know how many different species of fish have been found on Ningaloo Reef. There's a lot of butterflyfish, marine angelfish, damsels, anemonefish, wrasses, leatherjackets/ triggerfish, box fish and heaps of different invertebrates.

That song suits your cycling hobby. There might be 500 fish species found in that reef probably. What was your favourite place to cycle in?

 

[Colin_T]

Geraldton wasn't the best place to cycle. It had too many double gee prickles that used to pop the tyres. Mandurah was the same.

I liked cycling to Fremantle and back. It took about 45 minutes each way and had a couple of horrible hills to go up but was still a nice ride. Going out to Piney Lakes reserve in Melville was nice too. Cycling around the south Perth foreshore was nice too when there weren't too many people on it.

 

[elephantnose3334]

Geraldton wasn't the best place to cycle. It had too many double gee prickles that used to pop the tyres. Mandurah was the same.

I liked cycling to Fremantle and back. It took about 45 minutes each way and had a couple of horrible hills to go up but was still a nice ride. Going out to Piney Lakes reserve in Melville was nice too. Cycling around the south Perth foreshore was nice too when there weren't too many people on it.

I live in Melville. In fact, I live near Piney Lakes. I cycle at Bibra Lake around the block where Grandad rides. What was your cycling routine?

What's happening with coral reefs lately? Are they improving or are they in a worse state than before?

 

[Colin_T]

I live in Melville. In fact, I live near Piney Lakes. I cycle at Bibra Lake around the block where Grandad rides. What was your cycling routine?

When I was working I cycled to work, then worked all day before cycling home the long way. The long way included going into Perth and back (from Willetton), which took about an hour. On my days off when I finished looking after the animals at home, I would spend 2-6 hours cycling wherever. I cycled out to Hillaries, Wanneroo and Midland just for something to do or visit a friend. I was in Wilson at the time. Then I got hit by a car and that was the end of my cycling career. After that I cycled to and from the shops and did short trips but can't spend too much time on a bike because it puts pressure on the back of my neck and makes the headaches worse.

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What's happening with coral reefs lately? Are they improving or are they in a worse state than before?

Coral reefs are getting worse. The water temperature is increasing and killing corals close to the surface. Fortunately coral larvae are moving south to slightly cooler waters (this is going to mess up the ecosystem down south) and also moving into deeper water and they will hopefully be alright. However, if the water temperature keeps going up, it will potentially kill all the corals. Most tropical corals can tolerate temperatures up to 28C, but anything over that causes them to bleach. When a coral bleaches, it sheds its symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) and the coral normally dies. If the coral survives the heat, it can recapture some zooxanthellae and carry on growing but it will be more susceptible to heat in the future.

The other issue has to do with the carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the air and water. It is using up the carbonate hardness (KH) in the ocean and the pH of the ocean is slowly dropping (it's down from 8.5 to 8.4). Whilst this isn't a major drop in the pH, it shouldn't happen and if the CO2 levels continue to build up, the KH will get used up and the pH of the ocean could drop suddenly and rapidly due to CO2 being an acidic gas.

If the pH drops suddenly, the phytoplankton (single celled algae) will die off overnight. The dead phytoplankton will release a huge amount of CO2 into the water. This will kill most if not all of the fish, crustaceans and other aquatic organisms living in the water. The sudden drop in pH could also kill them. When the marine life dies, it will release more CO2 into the water making the problem worse. Withing a few days to a week, virtually all fish and invertebrate life in the ocean could be dead. The only things left will be marine mammals and reptiles and these will have acid irritation or burns to their skin and shells, and they will starve to death. Some organisms that live at the bottom of the ocean by volcanic vents might survive because they live in water with no or very low oxygen and warmer water.

The phytoplankton is the only thing keeping us alive currently. It removes most of the CO2 from the air but is no longer able to keep up with the amounts being produced. This was shown in 2018 when climate scientist released information about CO2 levels and said the levels had skyrocketed in 2018. The global CO2 levels had been increasing slowly at about 2 degrees over the last 50 years. In 2018 it increased to about 80 degrees. There are not enough plants on the planet to help remove CO2. The phytoplankton can't remove enough CO2 and the level of CO2 is increasing at a rapid rate and has been for 5 years.

If the CO2 levels continue to increase at the current level and we do not replant the planet immediately, we're all dead. We need at least 100 trees per person and we need them planted in the ground right now. We also need to stop producing CO2, which means stop using fossil fuels immediately. Unfortunately a lot of countries (including Australia), are still releasing vast amounts of CO2 and still clearing trees.

 

[elephantnose3334]

When I was working I cycled to work, then worked all day before cycling home the long way. The long way included going into Perth and back (from Willetton), which took about an hour. On my days off when I finished looking after the animals at home, I would spend 2-6 hours cycling wherever. I cycled out to Hillaries, Wanneroo and Midland just for something to do or visit a friend. I was in Wilson at the time. Then I got hit by a car and that was the end of my cycling career. After that I cycled to and from the shops and did short trips but can't spend too much time on a bike because it puts pressure on the back of my neck and makes the headaches worse.

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Coral reefs are getting worse. The water temperature is increasing and killing corals close to the surface. Fortunately coral larvae are moving south to slightly cooler waters (this is going to mess up the ecosystem down south) and also moving into deeper water and they will hopefully be alright. However, if the water temperature keeps going up, it will potentially kill all the corals. Most tropical corals can tolerate temperatures up to 28C, but anything over that causes them to bleach. When a coral bleaches, it sheds its symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) and the coral normally dies. If the coral survives the heat, it can recapture some zooxanthellae and carry on growing but it will be more susceptible to heat in the future.

The other issue has to do with the carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the air and water. It is using up the carbonate hardness (KH) in the ocean and the pH of the ocean is slowly dropping (it's down from 8.5 to 8.4). Whilst this isn't a major drop in the pH, it shouldn't happen and if the CO2 levels continue to build up, the KH will get used up and the pH of the ocean could drop suddenly and rapidly due to CO2 being an acidic gas.

If the pH drops suddenly, the phytoplankton (single celled algae) will die off overnight. The dead phytoplankton will release a huge amount of CO2 into the water. This will kill most if not all of the fish, crustaceans and other aquatic organisms living in the water. The sudden drop in pH could also kill them. When the marine life dies, it will release more CO2 into the water making the problem worse. Withing a few days to a week, virtually all fish and invertebrate life in the ocean could be dead. The only things left will be marine mammals and reptiles and these will have acid irritation or burns to their skin and shells, and they will starve to death. Some organisms that live at the bottom of the ocean by volcanic vents might survive because they live in water with no or very low oxygen and warmer water.

The phytoplankton is the only thing keeping us alive currently. It removes most of the CO2 from the air but is no longer able to keep up with the amounts being produced. This was shown in 2018 when climate scientist released information about CO2 levels and said the levels had skyrocketed in 2018. The global CO2 levels had been increasing slowly at about 2 degrees over the last 50 years. In 2018 it increased to about 80 degrees. There are not enough plants on the planet to help remove CO2. The phytoplankton can't remove enough CO2 and the level of CO2 is increasing at a rapid rate and has been for 5 years.

If the CO2 levels continue to increase at the current level and we do not replant the planet immediately, we're all dead. We need at least 100 trees per person and we need them planted in the ground right now. We also need to stop producing CO2, which means stop using fossil fuels immediately. Unfortunately a lot of countries (including Australia), are still releasing vast amounts of CO2 and still clearing trees.

How did you survive a car accident while riding your bike? You were lucky to live to tell the tale. I wasn't born in the 80s however. I was born in the 2000s. But I understand that you were fuming like fire at the driver who caused this.

How long has coral reefs endure this since when?

 

[Colin_T]

How did you survive a car accident while riding your bike? You were lucky to live to tell the tale. I wasn't born in the 80s however. I was born in the 2000s. But I understand that you were fuming like fire at the driver who caused this.

No idea how I survived the accident. The doctors said I should be dead and simply stitched my head up, got me to read an eye chart, and sent me home. The next day dad carried me back into hospital because I couldn't stand up and kept falling down. That's when they ran tests and said "You've got a broken back and neck and massive brain damage. Go home and rest." I was then sent home a second time and left without care.

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How long has coral reefs endure this since when?

Coral reefs have been bleaching for 30-40 years, although it was rare 40 years ago and is becoming an annual event now.

 

[elephantnose3334]

No idea how I survived the accident. The doctors said I should be dead and simply stitched my head up, got me to read an eye chart, and sent me home. The next day dad carried me back into hospital because I couldn't stand up and kept falling down. That's when they ran tests and said "You've got a broken back and neck and massive brain damage. Go home and rest." I was then sent home a second time and left without care.

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Coral reefs have been bleaching for 30-40 years, although it was rare 40 years ago and is becoming an annual event now.

Ouch. That must hurt a lot. Did the doctors care for you? What did doctors do during that time? And why did they send you home despite injuries?

 

[Colin_T]

The doctors didn't do anything for me. The hospital stitched my scalp up on the day of the accident and sent me home without doing more tests. The next day they did x-rays and CAT scans and sent me home to rest.

About 8 or 9 days after the accident I went to my local doctor and he removed the stitches from my head and that was it.

A few months later I managed to get the hospital to call me in for rehab and they electrocuted me for an hour and I never went back. Fremantle hospital is a terrible hospital.

 

[Seisage]

If the pH drops suddenly, the phytoplankton (single celled algae) will die off overnight. The dead phytoplankton will release a huge amount of CO2 into the water. This will kill most if not all of the fish, crustaceans and other aquatic organisms living in the water. The sudden drop in pH could also kill them. When the marine life dies, it will release more CO2 into the water making the problem worse. Withing a few days to a week, virtually all fish and invertebrate life in the ocean could be dead. The only things left will be marine mammals and reptiles and these will have acid irritation or burns to their skin and shells, and they will starve to death. Some organisms that live at the bottom of the ocean by volcanic vents might survive because they live in water with no or very low oxygen and warmer water.

The phytoplankton is the only thing keeping us alive currently. It removes most of the CO2 from the air but is no longer able to keep up with the amounts being produced. This was shown in 2018 when climate scientist released information about CO2 levels and said the levels had skyrocketed in 2018. The global CO2 levels had been increasing slowly at about 2 degrees over the last 50 years. In 2018 it increased to about 80 degrees. There are not enough plants on the planet to help remove CO2. The phytoplankton can't remove enough CO2 and the level of CO2 is increasing at a rapid rate and has been for 5 years.

If the CO2 levels continue to increase at the current level and we do not replant the planet immediately, we're all dead. We need at least 100 trees per person and we need them planted in the ground right now. We also need to stop producing CO2, which means stop using fossil fuels immediately. Unfortunately a lot of countries (including Australia), are still releasing vast amounts of CO2 and still clearing trees.

I should assure you that things are not quite this dire. Ocean acidification is absolutely a pressing issue, both for corals as well as many other organisms in the ocean. However, the decrease in pH is not a rapid process and wouldn't ever be. Projections for high atmospheric CO2 concentrations by the year 2100 predict the oceanic pH could be 7.8, compared to the normal 8.1. Of course, that would be a notable decrease and it should be taken seriously, but it wouldn't be a large, rapid pH decline. So don't worry, there won't be an apocalyptic phytoplankton die-off.

Additionally, I will always defend phytoplankton and their importance. However, I should acknowledge that tropical forests do genuinely take in a lot of CO2. Globally, they remove about as much as phytoplankton do, which is an accomplishment considering the forests take up less surface area on Earth compared to phytoplankton. So no, thankfully the phytoplankton are not our last hope for survival. There definitely needs to be urgent action taken to mitigate climate change, but I promise we aren't facing quite the apocalyptic conditions you're describing.

 

[elephantnose3334]

The doctors didn't do anything for me. The hospital stitched my scalp up on the day of the accident and sent me home without doing more tests. The next day they did x-rays and CAT scans and sent me home to rest.

About 8 or 9 days after the accident I went to my local doctor and he removed the stitches from my head and that was it.

A few months later I managed to get the hospital to call me in for rehab and they electrocuted me for an hour and I never went back. Fremantle hospital is a terrible hospital.

Double ouch. That must hurt a lot. That was during the 80s and during a time when technology did not exist. I go to Freo Hospital only for my social group. That's where they usually gather in.

I think the plants you owned and were thrown out had flowers like Geraldton Wax, and the leaves and stalk of a Kangaroo paw. It was a fantastic plant. I'd love to find similar plants to the ones you had.

I should assure you that things are not quite this dire. Ocean acidification is absolutely a pressing issue, both for corals as well as many other organisms in the ocean. However, the decrease in pH is not a rapid process and wouldn't ever be. Projections for high atmospheric CO2 concentrations by the year 2100 predict the oceanic pH could be 7.8, compared to the normal 8.1. Of course, that would be a notable decrease and it should be taken seriously, but it wouldn't be a large, rapid pH decline. So don't worry, there won't be an apocalyptic phytoplankton die-off.

Additionally, I will always defend phytoplankton and their importance. However, I should acknowledge that tropical forests do genuinely take in a lot of CO2. Globally, they remove about as much as phytoplankton do, which is an accomplishment considering the forests take up less surface area on Earth compared to phytoplankton. So no, thankfully the phytoplankton are not our last hope for survival. There definitely needs to be urgent action taken to mitigate climate change, but I promise we aren't facing quite the apocalyptic conditions you're describing.

I understand that.

 

[Colin_T]

I should assure you that things are not quite this dire. Ocean acidification is absolutely a pressing issue, both for corals as well as many other organisms in the ocean. However, the decrease in pH is not a rapid process and wouldn't ever be. Projections for high atmospheric CO2 concentrations by the year 2100 predict the oceanic pH could be 7.8, compared to the normal 8.1. Of course, that would be a notable decrease and it should be taken seriously, but it wouldn't be a large, rapid pH decline. So don't worry, there won't be an apocalyptic phytoplankton die-off.

Climate scientists were originally saying the CO2 levels would increase slowly but they haven't. The CO2 levels have jumped rapidly in 2018 and this changes things considerably. Initially people were saying we need to reduce greenhouse gasses to 50% of currently levels by 2050. Now it's we must reduce them by 50% by 2030.

The polar ice caps were meant to be stable for a long time but scientists are now concerned they are melting a lot faster than predicted. And this is going to get worse. If you have 2 ice cubes in a glass of water and put it on a table in the sun, the ice cubes hold the temperature for a while until they start to melt. The more they melt, the less ice remains to keep the water cool. Eventually it gets to a point where the remaining ice melts rapidly and the glass of water starts to warm up really quickly. We are at that point right now on this planet. The ice cubes represent the polar ice caps. The glass of water represent the ocean. The ice caps are starting to melt faster now than expected and that is due to a warmer atmosphere and ocean.

I have never seen the pH of the ocean drop in 40 years of testing it and the drop occurred in 2017. Even though it's only a drop from 8.5 to 8.4, it's still a drop and that was unheard of. In 2018 the CO2 levels increased significantly. In 2018-2020 and 2023-2024 there have been huge wildfires all around the world that have released even more CO2 and destroyed millions of hectares of trees.

Additionally, I will always defend phytoplankton and their importance. However, I should acknowledge that tropical forests do genuinely take in a lot of CO2. Globally, they remove about as much as phytoplankton do, which is an accomplishment considering the forests take up less surface area on Earth compared to phytoplankton. So no, thankfully the phytoplankton are not our last hope for survival. There definitely needs to be urgent action taken to mitigate climate change, but I promise we aren't facing quite the apocalyptic conditions you're describing.

I agree that forests do take up CO2, but the problem is the lack of trees and forests. In the last 200 years the human race has cleared 90% of trees and forests around the world. We need to replant the planet now because the remaining trees/ forests are unable to help the phytoplankton take up the CO2 that is being produced.