this is just too shocking...

Thank God for the politically neutral ABC ;-/

ABC Online
Study claims climate change fosters reef growth. 13/12/2004. ABC News Online

Last Update: Monday, December 13, 2004. 3:29pm (AEDT)

Study claims climate change fosters reef growth

New Australian research claims the world's coral reefs could grow at faster rate as oceans warm up.

The newly published research, by a team led by oceanographer from the University of NSW Dr Ben McNeil, suggests ocean warming will foster reef growth.

"Our analysis suggests that ocean warming will foster considerably faster future rates of coral reef growth that will eventually exceed pre-industrial rates by as much as 35 per cent by 2100," Dr McNeil said.

In the past researchers have predicted a decline in coral reef growth of up to 60 per cent by 2100 relative to late 19th century levels, due to increasing carbon dioxide levels in the ocean surface waters.

"Our finding stands in stark contrast to previous predictions that coral reef growth will suffer large, potentially catastrophic, decreases in the future," Dr McNeil, who led and published the research in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, said.

The new research suggests that present coral reef calcification rates are not in decline and are equivalent to late 19th century levels.

Coral reefs are built from calcium carbonate when red algae cement together a framework of coral skeletons and sediments. Seawater surface temperatures and the quantity of carbonate in seawater dictate their growth rate.

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