Posted on 07/19/2008 10:17:16 AM PDT by Coffee200am
Scientists in Britain have discovered a new global warming threat to marine life in Antarctica -- breakaway icebergs that destroy any life in their path.
Shallow habitats of species such as giant sea spiders, Antarctic worms, sea urchins and corals face growing risk from icebergs as they tear up the sea floor, The Times of London reported Friday.
The findings indicate climate change risks go beyond rising ocean temperatures, the British Antarctic Survey team said. Although near-shore ecosystems routinely take a pounding by icebergs, the destruction rate is rising as a warmer climate shrinks the winter sea ice that otherwise contain the icebergs.
The whole balance of the ecosystem could be affected, with consequences that are very difficult to predict, said Dan Smale, who led the study for the Cambridge institution. The focus of research has all been on rising temperatures, but what has been overlooked is that it isn't just warming of the water that changes the structure of the ecosystem. The distribution of species is likely to be just as important, and that is going to be affected by iceberg (breakaways).
Findings of the five-year study, conducted at South Cove on the Antarctic Peninsula, were published in the journal Science.
And exactly how long has ice been falling into the ocean in Antarctica?
Forever.
And yet, amazingly, all those species in the study are still here to be observed having ice falling on their head.
Hey!
If the government is handing out money to “find negative effects of global warming”, are you going to let facts get in the way of your next paycheck?
Is there anything global warming can’t do?
Why do scientists conclude that no species should go extinct when millions already have? No teradactyls in my backyard please!!
“Harm” is a word with moral connotations, usually invoked in the context of human interests or suffering. I am not sure how an ecosystem can be “harmed.” What the headline writer presumably means is that the current arrangement of life in Antarctica has some particular moral force behind it, but nature certainly doesn’t operate that way, so why should we?
Reminds me of one of those “Oh no, Mr. Bill” moments
So I guess asking the government to fund a “study” of the mini tsunamis with their 2-3 foot waves caused by falling ice would be out of the question.
These people are ridiculous.
I get the sinking feeling that somehow, with the release of this study, AlGore “The Inventor of the Internet” has made another squillion dollars of ill-gotten gains.
Perhaps some strategically-placed signs on the ocean floor, “Beware of Falling Icebergs” or some such thing, could help our hapless sea-spiders and other greeblies from being bonked on the head needlessly? Surely this is an urgent Health and Safety issue!
The genius in this is that someone managed to get five years worth of grant to study the effect of water (solid state, but water) running downhill.
...so to be safe, we will predict the absolute worst possible outcome.
(Has our research grant money come in yet?)
Geez.... And Avalanches kill trees, Rock slides kill animals and trees, mud slides kill animals and trees, Volcanoes kill humans, birds, trees, and animals, Forest fires destroy complete forests....etc, etc
All part of nature..
This could be worse than Y2K :(
Help, help, help, the sky is falling. /sarc
Exactly !!!!
Yep. Nutjob Nancy needs to promote legislation that bans the shrinkage of winter sea ice that otherwise contain the icebergs. How dare that winter sea ice shrink!
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