Transcript Terrestrial Paleoecology - Florida Institute of Technology

Institute for Research on
Global Climate Change
Florida Institute of Technology
Terrestrial
Paleoecology
Institute for Research on Global
Climate Change
Lake sediments provide many ways to
extract information about past climates
Fossil pollen and charcoal
Terrestrial Paleoecology
Diatoms
Sediment color and
chemistry
Our South
and Central
American field
sites
Terrestrial Paleoecology
We raise sediment cores from ancient lakes
Terrestrial Paleoecology
Lake Surucuchu, Ecuadorian Andes
The GLAD800 drill rig raising a deep-water core from
230’ water depth from a lake in Guatemala
Terrestrial Paleoecology
We investigate cultural collapse and
its relationship to climate change
Terrestrial Paleoecology
Pollen grains of maize are a clear indication of past
agricultural activity
Terrestrial Paleoecology
Dr. Bush and undergraduate Chris La Drew
investigate a cave in Ecuador for stalagmites
Terrestrial Paleoecology
The inside of a stalagmite
Each color change indicates a change in precipitation
Terrestrial Paleoecology
Marine
Paleoecology
Institute for Research on Global
Climate Change
The animals of Antarctica are unique…
Marine
Paleoecology
The animals of Antarctica are unique…
Sea worm
Marine
Paleoecology
The animals of Antarctica are unique…
Rockhopper penguins
Marine
Paleoecology
The animals of Antarctica are unique…
Gentoo penguins
Marine
Paleoecology
Adelie penguins
The animals of Antarctica are unique…
Marine
Paleoecology
Chinstrap penguins
…but as climate changes
Marine
Paleoecology
and the Antarctic gets warmer
Marine
Paleoecology
new animals are appearing
Invasive King Crabs
Marine
Paleoecology
threatening Antarctica’s unique inhabitants
Marine
Paleoecology
Marine
Paleoecology
Camping out in the Antarctic wilderness
Dr. Rich Aronson diving into an
ice crack in Antarctica
Marine
Paleoecology
Coral-Reef
Ecology
Institute for Research on Global
Climate Change
Microscopic plants live inside corals
Coral-Reef Ecology
Coral reefs feed
half a billion people
worldwide
Coral-Reef Ecology
Coral-Reef Ecology
Coral-Reef Ecology
Parrot fish control sea weed on coral reefs
Coral-Reef Ecology
Coral reefs are the rainforests of the sea
Coral-Reef Ecology
The oceans are warming
Tropical Atlantic
Tropical Pacific
Webster et al 2005. Science 309:1844-46
Santer et al 2006. PNAS 103:13905-10
Coral bleaching, southern Japan (1998)
FIT students measuring the effects of climate change on coral reefs
Coral-Reef Ecology
FIT students measuring the effects of climate change on coral reefs
Coral-Reef Ecology