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Coral (Climate) Critique

Throughout the entire section of Coral (climate) there is no use of the term “proxy” or even “paleoclimatology”. Instead, the article discusses the changes coral has been forced to undergo due to climate fluctuation over time. Proxies are “preserved physical characteristics of the environment that can stand in for direct measurements” < https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/news/what-are-proxy-data>. Since the atmospheric measures of temperature and CO2 do not go back very far, these physical characteristics give scientists an extension of records that help then analyze the past climate changes, giving them crucial insight into today’s problem. None of this is made clear. We are given several ways coral adjusts to its environment, but there is little application. This article would be strengthened by having a variety of people creating it and editing it. Where it is now, it looks like a biological scientist wrote it or even a chemical scientist, without consulting their atmospheric science buddy. Integration will be key in strengthening the information already given.

The data provided is correctly cited and referenced, but it is very limited. This area would benefit from graphs of diagrams that show the change of certain quantifiable characteristics over time. The article assumes that we already know the purpose of the information provided, but without my current climate change class, I would not have concluded that coral is a proxy for studying climate change. The definition of proxy needs to be stated “preserved physical characteristics of the environment that can stand in for direct measurements.” When talking about proxies, it is important to note the level of certainty. Although scientists are working to improve their precision, it is unlikely that proxies will ever be as precise. This is important to note, to ensure that you are summarizing all sides of an argument. Another topic that would be relevant would be the ocean’s important responsibility of being the sink of human-released carbon. This is essential to understand why coral is changing and has changed in the past.

All of the sources listed are legitimate sources, with relevant and current (mostly) research. However, I was able to find three more sources that were not listed that could be very beneficial for Wikipedia users. I specifically like the last source due to its focus on one area through a case study. This gives us a very tangible example of the relationship between coral and climate over time. It even gives us some graphs, specifically figures 3 and 4, that could be helpful for visual learners such as myself.

Mumby, Peter J, Ian A. Elliott, C M. Eakin, William Skirving, Claire B. Paris, Helen J. Edwards, Susana Enríquez, Roberto Iglesias-Prieto, Laurent M. Cherubin, and Jamie R. Stevens. "Reserve Design for Uncertain Responses of Coral Reefs to Climate Change." Ecology Letters. 14.2 (2011): 132-140. Print.

DONNER, SIMON D, WILLIAM J. SKIRVING, CHRISTOPHER M. LITTLE, MICHAEL OPPENHEIMER, and OVE HOEGH-GULDBERG. "Global Assessment of Coral Bleaching and Required Rates of Adaptation Under Climate Change." Global Change Biology. 11.12 (2005): 2251-2265. Print.

Wang, Xin, DongXiao Wang, RongZhen Gao, and DongHuai Sun. "Anthropogenic Climate Change Revealed by Coral Gray Values in the South China Sea." Chinese Science Bulletin. 55.13 (2010): 1304-1310. Print.

Proxy (climate) Comments from Talk Page Several of the sources in this article were no longer hyperlinked to a functioning website. For example citations #6 and #15 were no longer linked to an article. Other citation problems include the lack of citation. Specifically in the section about tree rings because there are zero citations in this section to verify the information provided. Other sources are fairly dated. For example, citation #16 was written in 1992, in a fast pace, innovative field such as climate change I am sure there are more recent sources that discuss this topic in a more relevant manner.

Some views were under-represented. For example, there is not much discussion on the variability and uncertainty from these proxies. Proxies are an essential tool while discussing climate change, but the article would be strengthened by discussing possible counter arguments and view points.