Could volcanic eruptions in the south-west Pacific save the Great Barrier Reef?

Could the pumice that surges into the ocean once a volcano erupts in Tonga or elsewhere in the southwest Pacific save the Great Barrier Reef?

2012-07-20

(Press-News.org) Could volcanic eruptions in the south-west Pacific save the Great Barrier Reef?

Could the pumice that surges into the ocean once a volcano erupts in Tonga or elsewhere in the south-west Pacific save the Great Barrier Reef?

World-first research conducted by Queensland University of Technology geologist Dr Scott Bryan indicates that yes, this is not only possible, but could be how the Great Barrier Reef formed in the first place.

Dr Bryan and colleagues studied the westward flow or rafting of pumice after volcanic eruptions in Tonga in 2001 and 2006.

Pumice forms when frothy molten rock cools rapidly and forms a lightweight bubble-rich rock that can float in water.

Dr Bryan said his study found plants and tiny animals including corals latched onto pumice as it was swept by ocean currents towards north eastern Australia.

"The pumice raft created after the 2006 Home Reef volcano erupted in Tonga initially formed at least a 440 square kilometre floating mass," he said.

"This mass slowly broke up into streaks and millions to billions of marine organisms such as cyanobacteria, barnacles, molluscs, corals, anemones, and crabs began hitching a ride.

"The pumice we observed travelled more than 5000 kilometres in eight months and for the first time we were able to document the more than 80 species of plant and animal life that made the journey with it.

"Some biological cargo latched on in the waters around Tonga and Fiji while others came aboard elsewhere along the raft's 900+ day journey."

Dr Bryan said when these tiny corals, coralline algae, anemones and other reef dwellers arrived in north-eastern waters they became part of the Great Barrier Reef.

"This is good news because we know the reef is being replenished as a result of volcanic activity in the south-west Pacific and volcanic activity is frequent with eruptions in the area occurring every five to 10 years," he said.

"On the downside, marine pests, for example some species of sponge or mussel, can also be carried along on the pumice.

"While our research has not yet recognised designated marine pests, even if migration occurred at a very low rate in the future, pumice rafting could bring an invasion of millions to billions of pests that we don't yet know how to deal with."

Dr Bryan said his research would be significant to ecologists.

"Ecologists know the types of pests present in Pacific waters and their spawning patterns so when a future pumice rafting event occurs we can be in a better position to predict and suggest pest mitigation measures," he said.

He said prior to his research, pumice rafting had not been considered a significant factor in the dispersal of marine life for either reef revitalisation or pest invasion.

"We now have concrete proof that this is not the case," he said.

INFORMATION:

Dr Bryan's research paper, Rapid, Long-Distance Dispersal by Pumice Rafting, is published online in PLoS ONE

Download high-resolution photographs and an animation of the 2006 Home Reef Volcano pumice raft flow here.

Media contact: Rose Trapnell, QUT media team leader, 07 3138 2361 or 0407 585 901 rose.trapnell@qut.edu.au

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

PSU study finds 'caffeinated' coastal waters

2012-07-20

A new study finds elevated levels of caffeine at several sites in Pacific Ocean waters off the coast of Oregon—though not necessarily where researchers expected. This study is the first to look at caffeine pollution off the Oregon coast. It was developed and conducted by Portland State University master's student Zoe Rodriguez del Rey and her faculty adviser Elise Granek, assistant professor of Environmental Science and Management, in collaboration with Steve Sylvester of Washington State University, Vancouver. In spring 2010, Rodriguez del Rey and Granek collected ...

What we know and don't know about Earth's missing biodiversity

2012-07-20

Most of the world's species are still unknown to science although many researchers grappled to address the question of how many species there are on Earth over the recent decades. Estimates of non-microbial diversity on Earth provided by researchers range from 2 million to over 50 million species, with great uncertainties in numbers of insects, fungi, nematodes, and deep-sea organisms. Some groups of species, such as plants and birds, are well-known, with scientists discovering relatively few new ones each year. For insects and fungi, however, it is almost impossible ...

Scientists take unprecedented snapshot of single sperm cell's genome

2012-07-20

Every sperm cell looks essentially the same, with that characteristic tadpole appearance. But inside, sperm cells carry differences within their genes—even cells from the same man. Now, researchers provide a detailed picture of how the cell's DNA varies in a new study published in the July 20, 2012 issue of the Cell Press journal Cell. The techniques used could be helpful for understanding male reproductive disorders or, when applied to other areas of research, for characterizing normal and diseased cells in the body. When parents pass on genetic material to their children ...

Like a transformer? Protein unfolds and refolds for new function

2012-07-20

COLUMBUS, Ohio – New research has shown that a protein does something that scientists once thought impossible: It unfolds itself and refolds into a completely new shape. This protein, called RfaH, activates genes that allow bacterial cells to launch a successful attack on their host, causing disease. The researchers determined that RfaH starts out in its alpha form, composed of two spiral shapes. Later, in its beta form, it resembles spokes on a wheel and is called a barrel. When RfaH refolds, it acquires a new function – yet another finding that researchers would ...

Immune drug helps patients with serious kidney disorder

2012-07-20

Highlights Patients with a particular kidney immune disorder experienced remission when taking the immune drug rituximab, even when standard therapies had failed. Rituximab was safe and well-tolerated by all patients in the study. Each year, an estimated 70,000 people globally are diagnosed with the disorder, called idiopathic membranous nephropathy. Washington, DC (July 19, 2012) — A drug commonly used to treat immune disorders such as lymphoma and arthritis also benefits patients with an immune disorder of the kidneys that can lead to kidney failure, according to ...

Study questions safety and effectiveness of common kidney disease drugs

2012-07-20

Highlights Phosphate binders, drugs commonly prescribed to patients with chronic kidney disease, may not be as effective as previously thought. Phosphate binders may have negative effects on cardiovascular health. Additional studies are needed on the safety and effectiveness of these drugs. Washington, DC (July 19, 2012) — Drugs commonly prescribed to patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) may not be as strongly effective as once thought, and may cause unexpected harm to blood vessels, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of ...

New technique reveals cross-talk between 2 essential cellular processes

2012-07-20

LA JOLLA, CA – Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have simultaneously mapped two of the most important types of protein-modification in cells, revealing their extensive cooperation during an essential cellular process. Phosphorylation, the attachment of a phosphate group to a protein, and proteolysis, the cleavage of a protein, had almost always been studied independently. The new research combines techniques for mapping these events across all proteins in a cell population to show how they work together to execute the cellular "auto-destruct program" known ...

Debate ends: Everyone was right

2012-07-20

KANSAS CITY, MO—Scientists at the Stowers Institute of Medical Research have developed an innovative method to count the number of fluorescent molecules in a cluster and then applied the novel approach to settle a debate rampant among cell biologists—namely, how DNA twists into a unique chromosomal structure called the centromere. Knowing this helps explain how cells navigate the hazards of division and avoid the disastrous consequences of ending up with the wrong number of chromosomes. Centromeres, which sit at the cross point of the "X" used to represent duplicated ...

The Yin and Yang of stem cell quiescence and proliferation

2012-07-20

KANSAS CITY, MO—Not all adult stem cells are created equal. Some are busy regenerating worn out or damaged tissues, while their quieter brethren serve as a strategic back-up crew that only steps in when demand shoots up. Now, researchers at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research have identified an important molecular cue that keeps quiescent mouse hematopoietic (or blood-forming) stem cells from proliferating when their services are not needed. Publishing in the July 20, 2012 issue of Cell, the team led by Stowers Investigator Linheng Li, Ph.D., report that Flamingo ...

Lack of insurance linked to advanced stage cervical cancer

2012-07-20

ATLANTA –July 19, 2012—A large national sample of women diagnosed with cervical cancer between 2000 and 2007 finds lack of insurance was second only to age as the strongest predictor of late stage at diagnosis, a gap the authors say is likely attributable to lack of screening. The American Cancer Society estimates that 12,170 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer and 4,220 women will die from the disease in 2012. Although incidence and mortality from cervical cancer have declined dramatically since the introduction of the Pap test, one in three cervical cancer ...