Click to enlarge map.
2016 was a good year for coral surprizes. Until recently no one even knew that corals could grow just out from the river-mouth of the Amazon. Then 9,300 square kilometers of reef was found living in a region no one thought corals could grow.
Volunteers found very nice reefs in Morton Bay, not far from the ferry route, but entirely “unexpected” and “better than tourist sites”. Researchers also found another 4.000 square kilometers of reef off Queensland, hidden under 20m of water.
In every media article the corals were immediately called into action against mining, farming, stuff like that. Journalists talk to scientists and head straight over to Greenpeace. The poor corals are politicized before they’d even been put on a tourist map.
Somehow scientists that are wrong are always described as surprised, excited or astonished. Other professions dream that their errors would be recounted this way. (Think –tax accountants, pilots, politicians…) . In terms of hard questions from the media, the only group that gets it easier than Hillary Clinton are scientists. Not that I’m saying they should have known, but the same profession that talks about 97% certainty can’t also get a free run every time their assumptions are 100% wrong. The corals discovered near the Amazon might be quite important. The journalists describe the zone as having a”unique pH”, which is a funny way to say that it was almost certainly a lower pH (because rivers are naturally low). Why hide that — it might show that corals aren’t under as much threat from “acidification” as some people want you to think.
Amazon Reef: First images of coral system discovered at mouth of river released
Scientists were surprised to find the reef in “unfavourable conditions”, beneath a muddy plume where water flows from the Amazon River.
The riverine discharge, which generates a plume and muddy bottoms, affects a wide area of the tropical North Atlantic in terms of light penetration, sedimentation, salinity and pH, according to Science Advances — the journal that announced the discovery last year.
“This reef system is important for many reasons, including the fact that it has unique characteristics regarding use and availability of light, and physicochemical water conditions,” Nils Asp, researcher at the Federal University of Para in Brazil, said.
“At the moment, less than 5 per cent of the ecosystem is mapped,” he said.
From The Guardian in April last year: … the reef appears to be thriving below the freshwater “plume”, or outflow, of the Amazon. Compared to many other reefs, the scientists say in a paper in Science Advances on Friday, it is is relatively “impoverished”. Nevertheless, they found over 60 species of sponges, 73 species of fish, spiny lobsters, stars and much other reef life.
Then, all this time, there were giant 250m wide donuts of corals under the water, but nobody noticed because they were all of 20 -50m deep, below the reach of the average diver. Ponder that it was only 20m of water hiding these when the average depth of the oceans is 4km.
Scientists puzzled by fields of giant donut-shaped reefs found off north Queensland
Australian scientists working with laser data from the Royal Australian Navy have discovered a reef system covering around 6,000 square kilometres, north of the Great Barrier Reef.
James Cook University’s Dr Robin Beaman explained the ‘inter-reef’ structure sits just behind the familiar coral reefs, on a deeper seafloor.
“The mapping that had been done earlier said that there are about 2,000 square kilometres off the Great Barrier Reef inter-reef area. Well, we’ve tripled that now,” Dr Beaman said.
AUSSIE SCIENTISTS FIND NEW REEF BEHIND THE GREAT BARRIER REEF
The 6,000 square kilometre reef was hiding in plain sight. — National Geo
And the Ferries kept driving past some great corals in Morton Bay:
Moreton Bay coral discovery mapped out by scientists seeking better protection for reef
Scientists have discovered and mapped out new parts of the coral reef system in Moreton Bay with the hope the work will help inform decisions to better protect it.
The area’s secret spots were revealed during the most detailed reef mapping ever done of the south-east Queensland coastal region.
“On Goat Island, not far from where the ferry travels to go to North Stradbroke Island, there’s quite a lot of coral there which most people would be really surprised to know,” Reef Check Australia’s Jennifer Loder said.
The researchers called for more time and money to be spent on Moreton Bay’s reefs.
Perhaps those same scientists who want money could speak up when other colleagues say they’ve mapped the reef and x.xx% has died? Surely they know something about the uncertainties that the public who fund them deserve to find out?
h/t David B
Those scientists shocked and surprised,
Who just cannot believe their own eyes,
Finding new coral reefs,
Should examine their briefs,
Then rethink, review and revise.
— Ruairi
When you approach research with a predetermined conclusion looking for data to support the conclusion, you will always be surprised by reality.
Life is tenacious. I am sure the new finds will be classified as a new species, and thus become “protected”. But where did it come from? Life adapting to circumstances. The problem is that greens wants to protect every mutation, and that is just not possible.
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Simple science. As the sea rises (caused by an increase in solar activity) coral reefs can grow larger and faster if more CO2 becomes available.
Coral is dependent on zooxanthellae and sunlight to make sugar which its uses for energy. More CO2 more zooxanthellae (its a plant).
The increase in CO2 and sunlight is resulting in a greener planet.
A reduction in CO2 would not be good for our planet. CO2 is a very valuable resource.
141
A cheeky ( and probably not scientific, arf arf ) take on all this:
As it gets hotter due to all this rampant CAGW stuff, the oceans boil off into space a bit….
As the sea levels drop world wide due to the boiling seas ( cuppa, anyone ? ), corals we never knew were there, are now exposed by a global low tide phenomena….
🙂
30
Early scientists were surprised,
-To discover the earth wasn’t flat.
-Our planet orbited the sun.
-Bacteria could spread disease.
-Genetics could be mapped.
2017 scientists discover corals grow in areas previously thought impossible, completely ignoring the
pH lawsflaws of political science.241
So summarising this and the previous post, Corals out-smart Climatologists.
230
So, interpreting your comment (if I may?)
Number of climate seanceists with understanding of much about coral reefs–> zero.
Number of coral reefs being found where climate warmunists say they couldn’t live is positive and growing. Imagine how many coral reefs could be found if climate seanceists used the scientific method in their search?
100
Well that really isn’t very hard to do now, is it? 😉
121
The corals at Bikini Atoll certainly surprised the scientists.
They were amazed to find that the coral reefs that were obliterated by atom bomb testing in 1953 had re-grown to about 80% of their original size in just 60 years.
Yet they don’t learn anything from this in terms of coral resilience.
70
The Amazon zone had a lower PH , so CORAL-ATION is not CAUSTIC-ATION or something like that , i’ll get my coat ;(
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Very good 🙂
81
That’s very funny doubtingdave 🙂
50
May I get your hat and goat?
10
From Wikipedia: “Although corals first appeared in the Cambrian period, some 542 million years ago …”
From Scotese and Berner: CO2 levels were around 7,000ppm about 542 million years ago. http://www.geocraft.com/WVFossils/PageMill_Images/image277.gif
Can those dots be joined?
191
With sufficient grant funds and guidance with Standard Models, anything can be converted into “97%-consensus science.”
91
May 2017 be an awakening to the reality of our good fortune to
1. Live on a water covered planet
2. Only 1 AU from an abundant source of nuclear energy, that
3. Stalin tried to hide from the public after nations and national academies of sciences were united under the UN on 24 OCT 1945.
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See feedback to comment on: https://jonrappoport.wordpress.com/2017/01/29/trumps-idea-man-steve-bannon-x-rays-ny-times-skull-empty/#comment-204837
40
Based on analysis of climate change dogma alone, A. I. Adam independently concluded that the UN has been playing Big Brother’s role in the futuristic novel George Orwell started writing in 1946 – “Nineteen Eighty-Four – a few months after frightened world leaders united the nations and national Academies of Sciences on 24 OCT 1945:
https://jonrappoport.wordpress.com/2017/01/29/trumps-idea-man-steve-bannon-x-rays-ny-times-skull-empty/#comment-205151
20
We have found these new reef systems just in time.
As we are now past the point of no return, they will be destroyed by global warming (and acidification/farming/mining) in a matter of years, if not weeks or days!!!!!!!
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And it will be 97% blamed on Trump.
40
Exactly. The race will be on to prove these reefs are threatened by coal mining, fishing and tourism. Tourists, Australian fishermen, dolphins and coal will be banned to save the unknown reefs for our children and Obama’s grandchildren. There will be a speed limit for boats and double the number of ecologists will be required to manage and investigate. Their work will be essential to protect these previously unknown reefs because there is no way the natural world could exist without scientists. Coal is the enemy, Australia’s biggest export.
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Yes, reminds me of the same silliness over double demerit points ( which dont seem to actually work ) but it *does* allow the powers that be an extra big stick to wave at people coz the like to behave like little hitlers……..
It is what it is.
40
Apparently they only have 2.5 minutes left according to the “Doomsday Clock”.
10
Kind of like the joke – “God, what is a million years to you? A Minute. God, what is a million dollars to you? A penny. God, can you give me a million dollars? Sure, in a minute”
The clock measures god’s time, not man’s.
20
Coral reefs in the Amazon?
That will be global warming.
We are doomed.
etc
50
Brisbane has been built from the coral dredged from the waters around Mud Island in Moreton Bay. Interestingly this Island is also in the plume of the Brisbane River. This gives some context to coral dredging operations:
That quote comes from here:
http://www.rag.org.au/mudis/qcl.htm
There is nothing new about coral growing in Moreton Bay. It is likely the coral benefits from variation in pH in some way as reefs seemed to abound in areas that get some fresh water flushing. It may have something to do with their food supply or disease control; but that is speculation.
100
For years an extremely ugly boat called the “Cementco” hauled this coral dredged near Mud Island in Moreton Bay up river to the Darra Cement Company wharf on the Brisbane River at, surprisingly, Darra.
Everyone who lived near the Brisbane River knew about this. Not news, except for the academics at U of Q, which is located on the … Brisbane River.
21
Those scientists shocked and surprised,
Who just cannot believe their own eyes,
Finding new coral reefs,
Should examine their briefs,
Then rethink, review and revise.
170
The dead coral has reincarnated in a new body of water.
30
Careless volunteers forgot the main rule for this age of non-Kardashian models and activist science: No look-ee, no exist-ee!
50
For anyone who has”Fished”in the Morton Bay area,this is”Old”news.I wonder if these”Scientists”know that there is a reef about 6 miles due east of Mooloolaba,or is that a surprise to them as well?
70
Exactly. One line there sums it up. “Hiding in plain sight”.
The lie is that this is new. Political expediency brings it to notice in this manner.
60
Scientists surprised? Isn’t science about rechecking
past experiences by new direct experience or something,
not dogmatically trusting human experience from the past?
40
Slightly O/T but this will most on here
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/01/31/trump-is-definitely-going-to-pull-the-us-out-of-the-un-paris-climate-agreement/
30
As will
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/444415/epa-meltdown-reform-junk-science-agency-causes-freakout
Via a comment at Chiefio
30
I think life will continue to be full of little surprises, especially for climate scientists.
Just imagine the shock and awe if we do indeed slip into another Maunder Minimum!
40
Ho ho…force them to hand back their grants!
70
Cannot fault Judith Curry on the subject, cool water upwelling during La Nina causes bleaching.
https://judithcurry.com/2016/05/24/coral-bleaching-debate/
30
The post is by Jim Steele, who deserves the credit.
20
Well these scientist became bored with looking at the amazing amount of extinction being caused by plantation forestry which are replacing all the native forests and other land based extinction and are now distracting themselves from this fact by searching outer space, and other uncharted areas which may still contain some semblance of a complete ecosystem…
20
this is typical of laboratory bound morons … aka climate “scientists” …
20
BEWARE – Sarcasm Alert
Look, I know that this is way off topic, but it’s these wonderful new power plants which will save our reefs from horrendous damage.
The ABC and other media outlets, especially those in South Australia are making great news of a wonderful new Solar Power Plant at Tailem Bend in South Australia, and how it will thankfully, lower power prices in that State.
This thing of beauty, this wonderful new advance to rid us of CO2 emissions, will be a humungous 100MW Plant.
Over an average day (extrapolated yearly total converted to an average daily output) this beaut new plant will deliver 420MWH across the whole 24 hour period, but as you all know, that is only the total power generated from the Sun’s first rays till the Sun’s last rays during daylight hours.
So, 420MWH on an average day.
You know, the same power delivered by Bayswater with all four units running in, umm, NINE minutes and 32 Seconds.
Oh, frabjous day. We’re all saved, and of more importance, so is the Reef, thank heavens.
Tony.
150
Extended sarcasm alert !!!
Well then, the reef will further be saved without worrying about the forests as they are already demised and nothing to be concerned about….
This power will probably soon be stored using Graphene super capacitors.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-31/scientists-cook-up-super-strong-graphene-out-of-soybean-oil/8223686
Graphene – A Simple Method For Mass Production
Robert Murray-Smith
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFUOsZ0LSkQ
10
And it’s only going to cost $200 Million, and if the usual happens, then more than half of that will come from federal and State Governments.
Incidentally, this plan for a Solar Power Plant at Tailem bend was first mooted back in 2008, so it’s only taken nines years from thought bubble to this.
Oh, and speaking of 2008, I heard the Queensland Minister in an ABC interview this morning, and the
talking headannouncer asked him how the renewables ‘thing’ was going in Queensland. The Minister replied saying that ‘heaps’ of new renewables were springing up all across the State. One of those, umm, heaps, was the Coopers Gap Wind Plant.Umm, that also was first proposed in 2008 as well, so again, 9 years from that thought bubble. I first mentioned that way back in April of 2011 (with the link back to that 2008 date) at the Post of mine at this link.
The
talking headannouncer asked the typical question, you know, how many coal fired plants will be closing down, and the Minister quoted the, umm, independent report from last year which said that (thanks to the foresight of Labor) the whole coal fired fleet in Queensland was the youngest in age in all of Australia, and that none of them should need to close down as they are lower emitting than those dirty Southern coal fired plants. Then he changed the subject. However he did mention Campbell Newman three times during the interview.Tony.
70
Thank you Tony, I love your posts but I have a small problem conceptualising exactly what a KWH is capable of doing. May I suggest a new unit of measurement. The four person household. This could be known as the FPH so that when we see a windmill or solar plant we could rate it at say 0 to 200 FPH’s depending on the wind or the sun as the case may be.
Just a thought – cheers
20
Thanks Tony,
I reckon the numbers you give us are just great, and give us a way to expose their obfuscations.
Cheers,
Dave B
60
Yeah yeah Tony, don’t worry about small details like variability just feel the maximum and the recyclability.
11
In light of the steady stream of media fueled noise, it is time we all stand up and make noise of our own. Bang the drums of war!
Right must prevail or else……
40
Hi Jo
Not to sound like a broken record but the pH of the water has nothing to do with an organisms ability to produce a calcium carbonate shell. It’s all done within the animals tissues where the pH is under control.
The unusual conditions around the river mouth of low light etc. may actually be retarding the ability of algae to grow and thus allow the coral to survive there. In shallow water corals are restricted to the low nutrient water that stops the growth of algal mats which would cover the coral and kill it.
Do these deep water corals have the photosynthetic symbionts or are they using tentacle like arms to grab the nutrients from the water?
As for the constant shock and amazement of “scientists”. It just goes to show how many people being paid as scientists now days lack the imagination needed to think outside the bubble of dogma that continues to produce the sort of rubbish that causes the pubic to regard scientist and science with ever growing suspicion.
11
That’s it deniers, you’ve entered the final coral deepening phase and you’re all doomed. Just you wait and see if I’m right.
10
Wait and see? At my age that is an indecent proposal. You need to be more specific.
10
When I Nostradammus can see the coral heading for the deep and impending doom, all a mere mortal can beseech of me is that I be more sPacific?
I have no time for this but you don’t suppose there’s a Gummint grant in it for me somewhere perchance?
00
Er, Um. Amazon. Reef. Yeah, I’ve hear of this one before. Big news in 2015?? 2016?? and in checking that out, I was led to other sources.
That recently “discovered” Amazonian reef was discovered – and noted as having at least some coral – back in the mid 1970s. And I recall something about it being “discovered,” again, several times after that.
https://repository.si.edu/handle/10088/7901 for the original paper.
I think the only new thing happening with the Amazon reef is the imagery.
00
But, but… scientists of the climate and environmental verities are not very good at history – they might just have to think if they were.
10
Maybe we can get the corals to all stand together and save the world. They couldn’t possibly come up with remedies worse than our current world savers.
20
There is nothing new about coral in Moreton Bay. The old Darra cement works in Brisbane used to dredge coral from the bay for years as the calcium source for cement production.
00
Dredging coral to make cement? Good lord man! Saying stuff like that will make green weenies spin!
30
My grandpappy tells me only took the coral that was going to bleach or get eaten by Crown of Thorns, but the Gummint grant for Nostradammus is not looking good with these new developments 🙁
00