Great Barrier Reef in Danger of Collapse

Coral cover on Australia's Great Barrier Reef has declined by more than half over the last 27 years according to marine scientists. Storms, coral bleaching and a rise in the number of crown-of-thorn starfish which suck out the coral's nutrients, have led to the alarming decline. Scientists warn that unless action is taken the coral will halve again within a decade. Video courtesy: guardian.co.uk

Coral cover in the Great Barrier Reef has dropped by more than half over the last 27 years, according to scientists, a result of increased storms, bleaching and predation by population explosions of a starfish which sucks away the coral's nutrients.

At present rates of decline, the coral cover will halve again within a decade, though scientists said the reef could recover if the crown-of-thorns starfish can be brought under control and, longer term, global carbon dioxide emissions are reduced.

"This latest study provides compelling evidence that the cumulative impacts of storms, crown-of-thorns starfish (Cots) and two bleaching events have had a devastating effect on the reef over the last three decades," said John Gunn, chief executive of the Australian Institute of Marine Science.

Coral reefs are an important part of the marine ecosystem as sources of food and as protection for young fish. They are under threat around the world from the effects of bleaching, due to rising ocean temperatures, and increasing acidification of the oceans, which reduces the corals' ability to build their calcium carbonate structures.

The Great Barrier Reef is the most iconic coral reef in the world, listed as a Unesco world heritage site and the source of $A5bn (£3.2bn) a year to the Australian economy through tourism. The observations of its decline are based on more than 2,000 surveys of 214 reefs between 1985 and 2012. The results showed a decline in coral cover from 28% to 13.8% – an average of 0.53% a year and a total loss of 50.7% over the 27-year period. The study was published on Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal (subscription).

Two-thirds of the coral loss has occurred since 1998 and the rate of decline has increased in recent years, averaging around 1.45% a year since 2006. "If the trend continued, coral cover could halve again by 2022," said Peter Doherty, a research fellow at the institute.

The incredibly beautiful; but, deadly crown-of-thorns starfish is causing the rapid decline of coral reefs. Photo courtesy: shells-of-aquarius.com

Tropical cyclones, predation by Cots, and bleaching accounted for 48%, 42%,and 10% of the respective estimated losses. In the past seven years the reef has been affected by six major cyclones. Cyclone Hamish, for example, ran along the reef, parallel to the coast for almost 930 miles (1,500km), leaving a trail of destruction much greater than the average cyclone, which usually crosses the reef on a path perpendicular to the coast.

The starfish problem was first recorded in 1962 at Green Island off Cairns. "When we say outbreaks, we mean explosions of Cots populations to a level where the numbers are so large that they end up eating upwards of 90% of a reef's coral," Gunn said. "Since 1962 there have been major outbreaks every 13-14 years."

The evidence suggests that outbreaks of Cots start two or three years after major floods in northern rivers.

In September, scientists at the International Union for Conservation of Nature announced that Caribbean coral reefs are on the verge of collapse, with less than 10% of the reef area showing live coral cover. The collapse was due to environmental issues, including over-exploitation, pollution and climate change.

David Curnick, marine and freshwater programme co-ordinator at the Zoological Society of London, said many of the most endangered coral species around the world were also under severe pressure from the aquarium trade.

"Corals are notoriously hard to propagate in captivity and therefore the trade is still heavily dependent on harvesting from the wild."."

He said the results of the Great Barrier Reef survey were not surprising and the challenge for conservationists was to limit the localised threats to give reefs a chance to recover and develop resilience against the effects of climate change. "This is challenging but entirely achievable and there are many community-led projects around the world demonstrating this."

Corals can recover if given the chance. But this is slow – in the absence of cyclones, Cots and bleaching, the Great Barrier Reef can regrow at a rate of 2.85% a year, the scientists wrote. Removing the Cots problem alone would allow coral cover to increase at 0.89% a year.

Reducing Cots means improving water quality around the rivers at the northern end of the reef to reduce agricultural run-off – high levels of nutrients flowing off the land feed and allow high survival of Cots larvae. Another option is some form of biological control of populations – Gunn said there were promising results from research on naturally occurring pathogens that could keep Cots in check, but it was not ready to be applied in the field.

He said the future of the Reef lay partly in human hands. "We can achieve better water quality, we can tackle the challenge of crown-of-thorns, and we can continue to work to ensure the resilience of the reef to climate change is enhanced. However, its future also lies with the global response to reducing carbon dioxide emissions. The coral decline revealed by this study – shocking as it is – has happened before the most severe impacts of ocean warming and acidification associated with climate change have kicked in, so we undoubtedly have more challenges ahead."

Do We Never Learn?

Photo courtesy: Bloomberg.com

Approximately one week or so ago, I posted a blog detailing how the Shen Neng 1 had run aground in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef; and, a marine disaster was in the making from the leaking oil. The danger is the cheap, glue-like oil the shipping companies use to power their immense carrier ships.

The Great Barrier Reef along with all its corals, whales, giant clams and other marine life is in the path of a "coal highway" to China that may see shipments jump 67% by 2016. It should be noted here that when the Shen Neng 1 hit the sandbank on April 3, 2010, it was travelling at full speed and carrying 68,000 metric tons of coal and 975 tons of fuel oil.

Trade at Gladstone port in Queensland, Australia where the Shen Neng 1 took on its load may rise to about 140 million tons - mostly coal - by 2016, according to Gladstone Ports Corp. Chief Executive Officer Leo Zussino said in an interview.

“It’s only a matter of time before a serious oil spill occurs unless we have a better system for regulating the traffic,” said Peter Harrison, a professor at Southern Cross University in New South Wales who has studied the impact of oil pollution on coral reefs for three decades. “It’s a difficult place to navigate.”

The Great Barier Reef is a unique microenvironment. It is a breeding ground for humpback whales, contains the world's largest collection of corals, is home to more than 1,500 species of tropical fish; and, is host to more than 200 kinds of sea birds.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has stated that Australia may tighten up onitoring of vessels through the reef in addition to requiring more pilots to guide the ships. However, Bob Brown, senator and head of the Australian Greens Party, said companies are "making a coal highway" out of the reef.

Now, in addition to the coal, Gladstone will be the port of departure for liquified natural gas (LNG) beginning in 2014. It is estimated that LNG vessels leaving the Gladstone port by mid-2016 will be carrying approximately 10,000,000 tons annually of LNG according to the port operator. Most of this gas will be going to Asian markets. Among the companies planning to build LNG terminals at Gladstone are BG Group Plc, Santos Ltd. and Origin Engergy Ltd.

Normally liquified natural gas is an incredibly stable product with only a few risks; however, one of the very few risks is Rapid Phase Transistion (RPT). RPT occurs when cold LNG comes in contact with water.

Shenzhen Energy Transport Co., owners of the Shen Neng 1, said in in an April 8, 2010 statement that the planned route was "entirely within legal waters" and that the Shen Neng 1 was off course when it hit the Douglas Shoals. The shoals are about 100 km (60 mi.) off the northeast coast of the reef. Shenzen Energy Transport Co. was unable to explain why the vessel failed to make a scheduled easterly turn causing it to run aground.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau said an initial report on the incident will take about four weeks.

“This case has been a warning, a shot across our bow,” said Harrison at Southern Cross University. He went on to add that the use of pilots who know the reef, which is more than 3,000 km long, should be compulsory for all vessels passing through the area.

The Shen Neng 1 isn’t the first large vessel to collide with the reef. The Doric Chariot ran aground in 2002. The Doric Chariot left the Hay Point port north of Gladstone bound for India according to the Reef Marine Park Authority. Miraculously, he vessel was able to be refloated nine days later without the loss of either fuel or cargo of coal. A report from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau shows that while a pilot was aboard the Doric Chariot, he fell asleep.

The Malaysian container ship Bunga Teratai Satu collided with the Sudbury Reef near Fitzroy Island east of Cairns in 2000. No oil was released in this incident.

However, it would appear that the wreck of the Shen Neng 1 may make up for all our previous good luck. David Wachenfeld, the marine park authority's chief scientist, says that as many as 4 tons of fuel has already spilled and been treated with dispersants. He added that a white plume comprised of sand, pulverized coral and rock mixed with toxic paint from the ship's hull had become visible around the stranded vessel.

Accidents on the reef have fallen in the past 10 years, said Gladstone Ports’ Zussino, who is also chairman of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. Still, “low risk obviously is not good enough,” he said.

“We’ve got to protect the reef,” Prime Minister Rudd announced on ABC radio. It’s an Australian asset and provides 60,000 tourism jobs, he said.

Jeff Singleton, spokesperson for Transport Minister Anthony Albanese, points out the proposed shipping regulation changes surrounding the reef would have to be approved by the International Maritime Organization.

The number of “major” incidents at the Great Barrier Reef has been limited to three or fewer a year, compared with 10,000 journeys through the area annually, amid improvements in shipping safety measures, said the Barrier Reef’s Wachenfeld. “That’s a pretty damn good safety record, but obviously as shipping increases, the risks increase.”

Via Bloomberg.com

Chinese Coal Ship Rams Great Barrier Reef

The 700-plus-foot vessel leaked oil into the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park near Great Keppel Island off the east coast of Queensland state. (Australian Maritime Safety Authority / April 4, 2010) Photo courtesy: Los Angeles Times

Easter Sunday, one of most sacred of all religious holidays found a Chinese-owned bulk coal carrier rammed into one of the most environmentally-sensitive coral reefs in the world. The Shen Neng 1 had run full speed into the Great Barrier Reef near Australia on Saturday, April 3, 2010. Australian officials are now racing to try to prevent as much of the cargo from escaping into surrounding waters as possible.

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the wonders of the natural world and was selected as World Heritage Site in 1981. Peter Garrett, Environmental Protection Minister, says the Australian government is extremely concerned about the effect an oil spill would have on the reef.

Environmentalists are horrified at the possible damage the accident might cause to the ecosystem. This is no small ecosystem, it is more than 1,200 miles long and comprises more than 3,000 individual reefs, cays and islands, providing a habitat for countless sea species. Coral reefs are an incredibly rich source of marine species. While coral reefs cover slightly less than 1% of the oceans, they are home to approximately 25% of all identified marine species; and, the Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef in the world.

The Great Barrier Reef is like any other coral reef in that it is built of small, colonial animals that grow one on top of the other building on the dead shells of each other. These skeletons of calcium carbonate fuse together into a rock-like formation that can cut through the hull of any ship like a hot knife through butter.

The real damage is not only what has been done to the reef; but, the potential damage the roughly 300,000 gallons of heavy fuel oil it carries will do to the environment and marine species it coats. The damage to the reef will take decades, if not centuries, to repair; as, coral is notoriously slow growing.

Shipping companies still bear the lions' share of the guilt when it comes to environmental disasters like this even if they have never run aground or spilled one drop of their fuel into the ocean. Why?

Shipping companies (and the powers that run them) have turned a blind eye to the type of fuel used in their ships. These companies favour (and use) a low-grade fuel that is cheap. However, it is also incredibly viscous (thick and sludgy) and needs to be heated before being injected into the engines. This alone should be a red flag AND a warning bell.

The gooey texture of the sludge they use for fuel makes this class of fuel an ecological and environmental nightmare if it escapes into the ocean. It coats birds, fish, and other wildlife causing almost certain death. It is difficult to clean up; and, therefore washes onto corals and beaches to be held for decades before the area finally returns to pre-spill status.

Great Keppel Island, about 340 miles north of Brisbane,is a major tourist destination on the Great Barrier Reef and has provided Australia with a source of both national pride and tourist dollars. The Shen Neng 1 has floundered about nine miles outside of a shipping lane. There appears to be an oil leak that has travelled into the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park near Keppel Island.

Despite all the measures the government has taken in recent decades to protect this national natural treasure, the reef has suffered significant decline from overfishing, fertilizer runoff from agriculture, and coral bleaching from hotter water than usual associated with global warming.

Marine ecologists often talk about oil spills as the tipping point that can push coral reefs or other undersea areas past the point from which they can recover; particularly, if their resilience has been weakened by other chronic stresses.

"Climate change is a problem for virtually all coral reefs, and fishing has had some problem there," said Ben Halpern, a marine ecologist at UC Santa Barbara. "If you add into that a major oil spill, it tends to push the system past the tipping point."

What happens beyond that point, Halpern said, is the subject of much study. What's known is that corals tend to die and the reefs become overgrown with invasive algae. Then the fish and other marine life that rely on a living reef can no longer survive.

"This is a serious situation and we've mobilized air, sea and land resources in response," Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said.

"The situation remains serious as the extent of the damage means that there is a very real risk that the vessel may break apart. Every effort is now being made to limit the impact of this incident."

What hasn't been mentioned so far in this blog is that the Shen Neng 1 was in a restricted zone of the park. The impact sliced open the fuel tanks prompting Australian officials to activate a national oil spill response plant.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau will be conducting a full investigation of how the incident occurred and why the Shen Neng 1 was in a restricted zone. The carrier ran aground on a shoal and is not expected to be moved without salvage assistance.

Capricorn Conservation Council, a national environmental group, said in a release that it was "horrified that a Chinese coal carrier has run aground near Great Keppel Island."

The group called for a marine pilot to be required for all vessels operating in the area.

"We can be certain that this is a sign of things to come," spokesman Ian Herbert said.

"Who knows what damage will be done to our local coral reefs and marine animals from the oil spill from the ship. We are outraged that no marine pilot is required on ships between Gladstone and Cairns. This will increase the likelihood of similar events."

Via Care2 and Los Angeles Times