In a study led by Lauren T. Toth at Florida Institute of
Technology published in the journal, Science, coral reef
ecosystems in the tropical eastern Pacific “collapsed for 2500
years, representing as much as 40% of their history, beginning
about 4000 years ago.” A series of powerful El Nino events,
which include periods of significantly warmer ocean temperature
every three to seven years, coincided with the 2,500-year period
of coral decline. This was followed by a cycle of La Nina events
characterized by much cooler water, beginning 3,200 to 3,800
years ago. Corals recovered during the millenia since but now
face a return to extreme weather conditions like those that
wiped them out, due to climate change impacts. Researchers
shared the implications for today’s coral reefs with the New
York Times: “Even conservative models of climate change predict
a return to extreme weather conditions,” said the lead author,
Richard B. Aronson, a professor of biology at the Florida
Institute of Technology. “This means that