Coral restoration is a speculative, feel-good science that won’t save our reefs
theconversation.com
Coral restoration is, at best, a feel-good measure – and at worst, a dangerous distraction from climate action.
  • Ben Matthews@sopuli.xyzEnglish
    3·
    4 months ago

    I agree. The key symbiosis between coral and microalgae depends on fundamental thermodynamic equilibria of the carbonate chemistry of seawater - which are highly sensitive to temperature and atmospheric CO2, in very predictable ways. When living in coral becomes unprofitable for the algae, they leave. My instinct, from some experience with this system, is that introducing new species won’t do better than nature, nobody can beat thermodynamics. We have to reduce the CO2.

  • MrSebSin@sh.itjust.works
    2·
    4 months ago

    I’m no scientist but this seems obvious, as someone who’s had a saltwater aquarium and done maintenance myself.

    I didi’t even bother with coral, the closest I got was an anemone. I had the tank in balance for about a year with a great ecosystem that all but took care of itself with minimal water changes. Then one long weekend vacation the power went out for several days and it was enough to throw things out of whack. I tried for a year to carefully get it back and never could.

    Until we can stop/control climate change, it is a losing battle and even then, it will be difficult if not impossible to get them back to what they once were.