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Yet another Canary: Coral Reefs

This story was heart breaking.

In 2002, Dr. David Obura a specialist in Coral Reefs visited the Phoenix Islands in the heart of the Pacific and declared that they were  “Earth’s  last pockets of primal ocean…those underwater havens that have remained unspoiled as long as the ocean can remember”

Because these islands are so remote no one visited them again until 2004.

They were shocked to see that these once pristine reefs teaming with fish were now dead.   They test for all known causes of coral reef destruction and none were found. Given their remote location it could not have been industrial waste or pollution.  There is only one reason it could have happened; a sustained rise in ocean temperatures lasting more than 3 months.

NOAA records from this period show such a rise in ocean temperatures in this part of the Pacific.

Scientists have long postulated that coral reefs would be the canary in the coal mine as far as ocean health.  It is hard to believe that there are still those who are not convinced that global warming is real.

For more info and videos see http://www.pcrf.org/phoenix.html

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