Gosh…just this week we learned that the coral in the Great Barrier Reef was spared widespread bleaching this year (by an unlikely benefactor – Cyclone Larry). And then today, we see reports from scientists that unusually warm waters in the Caribbean in 2005 resulted in an “unprecedented coral die-off” – potentially the biggest in recorded history. In fact, early conservative estimates from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands find that about one-third of the coral in various monitoring sites has died. Gulp. Better plan your dive vacations now!

Of course, as all good divers know, the Caribbean’s coral reefs form the basis for a multibillion-dollar tourism and commercial fishing economy. Moreover, key fish species use coral as habitat and feeding grounds. According to biochemistry professor M. James Crabbe of the University of Luton , "It'll not be the same ecosystem. The fish will go away. The smaller predators will go away. The invertebrates will go away." So will the divers.

Not to dispute the findings, but we’ve previously reported that as temperatures rise, some coral reefs cool themselves by creating cloud cover! Moreover, Australian coral bleaching expert Dr. Ray Berkelmans claims that some coral reefs in the Great Barrier Reef have adapted to rising sea temperatures over the past decade by forming a protective barrier, and increasing their thermal tolerance. In other words, while it seems many of the Caribbean’s coral reefs have already been devastated, perhaps the remaining ones will adapt and become stronger.

Let’s hope.

[Thanks, Drew!]