Good day Mariners

“Coral reefs on the verge of mass destruction”

Recent studies have found that coral reefs are facing a serious threat from the rising acidity of the oceans. If acidity increases with the current rate, all tropical coral reefs will vanish by the end of this century.

Global warming is the major reason behind the increasing level of acidity in oceans. The rise of carbon dioxide in atmosphere causes to increase the amount of carbonic acid in the water and thus affects the ability of coral organisms to produce calcium carbonate shells which form coral reefs. The shells start to disintegrate due to this phenomenon.

The decaying of coral reefs begins when the acidity of the oceans rises beyond a certain threshold, and this point is likely to be reached before 2100, said Jacob Silverman of the Carnegie Institution of Science in Washington.

The study found out 9,000 coral reefs from around the world showed signs of disintegration to rising levels of carbon dioxide and increasing ocean acidity. “A global map produced on the basis of these calculations shows that all coral reefs are expected to stop their growth and start to disintegrate when atmosphere CO2 reaches 560 parts per million – double its pre-industrial level – which is expected by the end of the 21st-century,” Silverman explained.

It has become very obvious that these treasures of oceans, the highest in biodiversity of marine ecosystems, may move close to extinction within less than ten years.

“Samsung to build green shipyard ”

Samsung Heavy Industries, Korea, held a ceremony to launch its green management programme on January 28. As part of the project, Samsung announced that it launch a “green shipyard”.

Worth US$434 million and to be ready by 2015, this specialised shipyard will develop environmentally-friendly vessels.

“The green growth paradigm is emerging due to global warming and companies are required to take action and responsibility for the cause,” Samsung President Noh In-sik was quoted as saying by Asiasis.

“Keeping pace with the demands of the new era, we will promote growth based on green management in a bid to become a socially responsible company.”

A green management committee with a representative director will also be chosen to head the new shipyard.

The shipyard will aim to develop new technologies to enhance energy efficiency while decreasing green house gas emissions by 30 percent.