algae needs family planning ailse

[cletus8269]

recently there was a show on the national geographic or animal planet cant remember which, about massive animal extinction. it was about how a "super volcano" on pangea in the area of siberia errupted for like 250-500,000 years or something. anyway. it was talking about how at first it was no big deal, then life got worse for the animals on land. the water dwelling creatures didnt have any problems until the "global warming" from the volcanic gasses and trapping of the suns rays started kicking in. the water temps started rising and water has a lower oxygen content the warmer it gets. the water creatures began to die and so anaerobic bacteria started taking over in the water making it concentrated with amonia or cyonide or something, which in turn affected the animals left on land even more. thats just a tie in to what i orignally was going to post about the findings here at clemson university about the effects of algae on the ecosystems and the die offs of the dino's

Clemson scientists say algae, too, caused dinosaurs' extinction

CLEMSON — Algae could have had a lot to do with the extinction of dinosaurs and other species, two Clemson University scientists report.

And that could bode ill for present species if the Earth’s temperatures are rising, as many scientists have reported.

The two Clemson professors studied the rise of algae blooms and the decline of dinosaurs and other species and found a possible link. They presented their findings in a scientific journal in March, and it is the feature presentation at a meeting of the Geological Society of America in Portland, Ore., this week.

The two-year study was done by James Castle, professor in the Department of Engineering Services and Earth Sciences, and John Rodgers Jr., a professor in the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Rodgers said Monday.

A prominent theory on the fate of dinosaurs is that asteroids crashed into Earth, causing massive species deaths. The algae idea can be included in that theory, too, Rodgers said.

Their research shows the extinctions were gradual, not immediate, as the former theory claims.

He said a study of fossilized rock, Earth temperatures and other data showed a correlation between the extinction of species and an increase in temperatures, leading to the algae blooms.

“We came across the original hypothesis about two years ago,” Rodgers said.

Rodgers, an environmental toxicologist, said the pair was able to determine algae blooms through fossils known as stromatolite structures, which are algae deposits.

“We went back (through) millions of years and watched that through the rock record,” he said. “As warming occurs it favors the growth of algae.”

Algae is toxic in some forms, such as a neurotoxin, or through massive algae blooms that remove oxygen, Rodgers said.

“We have those blooms going on today,” he said.

One is currently causing havoc to marine life near Corpus Christi, Texas; the worst algae bloom in West Virginia history was recently reported; and there are others going on in New Mexico and Arizona, Rodgers said.

“As warming occurs, that favors (algae) growth,” he said. “It is sort of a message to folks: Be on the lookout.”

The scientists’ work has drawn reaction worldwide from other scientists, Rodgers said.

“We’ve gotten communications from all over the world,” he said. “This kind of pulls their research together.

The Discovery Channel was in Portland to feature the paper, Rodgers said. The paper was originally published in the journal Environmental Geosciences.

http://www.independentmail.com/news/2009/o...sed-dinosaurs-/

[cletus8269]

soooo people have somewhat a hand in this global warming crap to me but not sole responsibility by any means. it has a lot to do with the jet streams and ocean currents and all that jive too. but here we have examples of conditions devoid of man's assistance causing the same outcome.

[SAmadei]

This is great news for the Alge->Gasoline faithful.