New Insights on Global Climate Change from Coral Reefs by Prof. R. Dunbar

New Insights on Global Climate Change from Coral Reefs

Rob Dunbar uses coral skeletons to understand how tropical climate has varied over the past several centuries. He will describe how the work is done as well as new insights on El Nino as well as the backdrop of “normal” variability against which we detect man-made changes in ocean climate. In part two of this talk Dunbar will describe new approaches to understanding the importance of coral reef systems for ocean productivity. These methods combine detailed measurements of reef physics and chemistry and have only become possible during the past 4 years because of technical advances. Quantitative measurement of productivity and skeletal growth on reefs provide a new view of reef health and their interactions with the surrounding pelagic environments. Dunbar will conclude with some thoughts about the future of the world’s coral reefs.