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Loading ...Little room for doubt: IPCC working group II reports
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – the most reliable consensus on the science of climate change – has released the full report of Working group II (Impacts, adaptation and vulnerability). The conclusions of this heavily reviewed and objective scientific consensus are that ‘Observational evidence from all continents and most oceans shows that many natural systems are being affected by regional climate changes, particularly temperature increases.’
For coral reefs and coastal ecosystems there is this assessment:
“Corals are vulnerable to thermal stress and have low adaptive capacity. Increases in sea surface temperature of about 1-3°C are projected to result in more frequent coral bleaching events and widespread mortality, unless there is thermal adaptation or
acclimatisation by corals.
Coastal wetlands including salt marshes and mangroves are projected to be negatively affected by sea-level rise especially where they are constrained on their landward side, or starved of sediment.”
If you don’t have tie to read the full report, read the summary for policy makers or at least cast your eyes over Table SPM1 and Table SPM2.
OveHG is Professor of Marine Studies and Director of the Global Change Institute at the University of Queensland. He completed his BSc. Hons at the University of Sydney and PhD at UCLA in 1989, and was recognized in 1999 with the Eureka prize for Research into the physiological mechanisms of coral bleaching. Specialising in the impact of climate change on biological systems, Professor Hoegh-Guldberg has worked in polar, temperate and tropical regions, and is well-known for his work on the impacts of ocean warming and acidification on coral reefs. He is currently a Queensland Smart State Premier's fellow, and holds positions as reviewing editor at Science Magazine and chair of the World Bank/GEF working group on coral reefs and climate change.Email this author | View all posts by OveHG
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