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[QUOTE]Originally posted by saltshop
LOL...I see Richard has made his way back to the forum through a different ISP...congrats. My original words "Not this crap again! " seemed to be quite prophetic..eh?
Saltshop, I'm flattered that you would assume that a post challenging the mythology of warm water would be mine, but let me assure you that I'm not the only person to question the myth nor do I need to hide behind a nom de plume. I'm sure its hard to believe, but there are others who appreciate the vacuousness of your arguments. I also think it a cheap shot to invoke my name on a forum from which Ron has officially banned me. I have no interest in posting here, but I think it only fair that I have a right to reply to this sort of crap.
The poster asked for studies that showed that a hard coral cannot live in 78 degree water. You responded that since there's lower diversity in cooler water that it proves that there are corals that cannot live in cooler water. The fact that fewer corals are found in cooler water does not prove that they cannot live there. There are no indigenous kangaroos outside Australia. Does that prove that they cannot survive anywhere else than Australia? There are many animals that are found in isolation. Isolation is not proof that they cannot survive elsewhere.
The truth is that there are no studies that have demonstrated the narrow temperature tolerance you suggest. There's no experimental evidence that corals living in 84 degree water will die if placed in 78 degree water. None. So until you produce experimental evidence to the contrary, the only accurate statement that you can make is that fewer hard corals are found in cooler waters. Period.
Richard Harker
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