Quote:
Originally Posted by redpoint5
Yeah, but what about coral?
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Some additional tidbits:
Aside from direct heat-related death, if the rate of sea level rise exceeds the maximum rate of corral carbonate accretion growth, factoring in subaerial wave action erosion, biological predation, volcanic thermal subsidence, and tectonic subsidence ( about 10mm / year ), the corral will drown.
There are 116 corral shallow banks that are presently drowned, among 261 corral atolls.
During the Holocene transgression, 18,000-years ago, the rate of sea level rise reached as high as 20mm / year.
As the poles are presently warming faster than elsewhere, and warming at a non-linear rate, the loss of the Arctic and Antarctic continental ice will continue to feed sea level rise, and at an ever-increasing rate.
The critical depth for corrals is 30-40 meters.
As the water gets deeper, sunlight becomes more feeble, which slows corral growth, creating a negative feedback loop.
The coupling between the atmosphere and ocean also means additional ocean thermal expansion, amplifying sea level rise.
Deeper water still, and more heat death.