coral bleached-odd definition of decimated

decimate

ˈdɛsɪmeɪt/

verb

past tense: decimated; past participle: decimated

1. 1.

   kill, destroy, or remove a large proportion of.

   "the inhabitants of the country had been decimated"
2. 2.

   historical

   kill one in every ten of (a group of people, originally a mutinous Roman legion) as a punishment for the whole group.

   "the man who is to determine whether it be necessary to decimate a large body of mutineers"

UPDATED BELOW 11/3/2014
ABC use the word in the following headline:

Coral reef off Pilbara coast in Western Australia decimated by marine heatwave, scientists say

We did not find the word "decimated" used by scientists in the article, this appears to be another case of ABC exaggeration. 

A recent relevant CSIRO report provides the following information about the bleaching event:

Unfortunately, on the trip the research team found evidence of coral bleaching in the region due to some recent marine heatwaves, including the bleaching of a pocket of ancient coral heads – many up to 400 years old – that have provided an important record of reef health.

“We suspect this bleaching event was due to marine heatwaves that occurred in the region over the past few summers, and to see it up so close was sobering,” said our lead scientist on the project, Dr Russ Babcock.

“But to offset this loss, some reefs only a short distance north showed much less damage and will continue to contribute to a healthy ecosystem. By studying these sorts of variations and why they occur, we can improve our overall understanding of the marine environment in the region, and how we can best preserve it”.

The team managed to take some great images of the incredibly diverse flora and fauna that sits under the waters of the Pilbara. We asked Russ to run us through a few photos from the trip to give you an insight into the work of a marine biologist – and maybe even help you learn something in the process! Click on one of the images below to view the gallery.

Decimation seems an exaggeration to me. One of the images accompanying ABC's report which presumably shows the purported "decimation" is re-produced below:

This is ABC's caption: Christmas Tree Worms on a Porites coral head, that has been bleached by a marine heatwave off WA's Montobello Island.

This is a CSIRO photo. Here's the CSIRO's caption for the same photo (oddly no mention of bleached coral): "A coral reef Christmas Display. Those coloured blobs you can see are called Christmas Tree worms, and they are sitting on a porites coral colony. The worm's name is misleading on two counts-they spend their whole life sitting in a tube in a decidedly un-worm like state, and they prevalent all year round,but just don't tell the kids."

We have asked Alan Sunderland and CSIRO's Dr Russ Babcock for comment.


From ABC 11/3/2014:

Thank you for your email of 13 February concerning coral bleaching off the Pilbara coast.  

As your correspondence raised concerns of a lack of accuracy, your email was referred to Audience and Consumer Affairs for consideration and response. The unit is separate and independent from ABC program areas and is responsible for investigating complaints alleging a broadcast or publication was in contravention of the ABC's editorial standards. In light of your concerns, we have reviewed the story and assessed it against the ABC’s editorial requirements for accuracy, as outlined in section 2 of the ABC’s Editorial Policies. In the interests of procedural fairness, we have also sought and considered material from ABC News.

The word 'decimated' used in the headline was taken directly from the CSIRO's Media Release which states:

"Some unwelcome discoveries were made, including the bleaching and decimation of a pocket of ancient coral heads - many up to 400 years old - that have provided an important record of reef health".

As the CSIRO is Australia's top scientific organisation, the use of the headline 'Coral reef off Pilbara coast in Western Australia decimated by marine heatwave, scientists say' is a legitimate description of the content covered in the story.

The original caption, however, did not refer to the photo that was published and has been changed.

ABC News apologises for any confusion that may have resulted.

score +1

History forgotten as "hottest" year news breaks

ABC run a typically alarmist piece with cherry picked weather events turning the year into something exceptional:  How Australia's hottest year on record unfolded

In 1940 CO2 levels were around 310 ppm. Since the ABC has no sense of history let's see whether similar dramatic weather extremes were reported...Using the ABC's own  headlines....It was a year of heatwaves and bushfires, sun, cyclones, and melting bitumen... it was 1940!

Scorching summer sets the tone
January: GREATEST HEATWAVE IN STATE"S HISTORY: EIGHT DEATHS BRISBANE, January 26.
Eight people died in Queensland to-day at a result of the greatest heat the State has ever known. Three cases occurred in Brisbane and five in the country. Forty-three people collapsed in Brisbane and many more in the country. Brisbane experienced the highest temperature in its history—109.8 degrees at 2.35 p.m.

Nothing like this figure has been re-corded during the 85 years that the Meteorological Bureau has been operating. The nearest was 108.9 in January, 1902. To make matters worse, today's heat was accompanied by a record relative humidity of 20 per cent.The record day was followed by the hottest January night since 1922. The temperature at 9 p.m. was 83.3.

February: NINTH DAY OF TRYING HEATWAVE. 100.4 Degrees Today Gives 5th Successive Century. BROKEN HILL today experienced its ninth successive day of trying heat. The temperature reached amaximum of 100.4 degrees at 2 p.m. It would probablyhave been much higher but under the influence of a lightsoutherly wind the mercury dropped to 96 degrèes at2.40 o'clock, and 93 degrees at 3 'o'clock. Early this after-noon heavy clouds gave indication of a cool change being on the way.
Today's century was the 14th for the season, the sixth for the month, 10th for the year, and fifth in succession.

Heat returned in March, and again later in the winter

March: ADELAIDE HEAT-WAVE.Seventh Successive Century.ADELAIDE, March 13.—For the firsttime in the 82 years of the State's re-corded meteorological history, a sevenday spell of heat exceeding 100deg. hasbeen experienced in Adelaide during twosuccessive summers. The record wasestablished today, when the temperaturefor the seventh successive day passed thecentury, reaching 102.6deg. A similarheat-wave occurred in January, 1939. The Divisional Meteorologist (Mr. Bromley) predicts that a cool change should be noticeable tomorrow.Today's seventh successive century equalled the March spells of 1872 and 1934. Maximum readings during the past seven days have been 103.9, 107.7, 110.1, 108.3, 107.9, 104.9, and 102.6.

Heartwave in east: An Eastern heatwave has sent Melbourne and Adelaide temperatures soaring. By 1.30 p.m. today it was 105.3 deg. in Melbourne (40.7C) , and the mercury was still rising. (ed it reached 41.7)

April: DROUGHT IN UPPER HUNTER. Never Worse. POSITION SERIOUS.
Only 83 points of rain were recorded, at Muswellbrook during March, being 139 points below the.average. It is the eleventh successive month on which the fall has not reached the average. The rainfall for the first quarter of the present year was 239 points, is the lowest for that period for the last 17 years. The fall in March, 1939, was 403 points.

WINTER
June: SWIMMING IN SYDNEY! SYDNEY, Sunday. —Sydney had summer weather today, although winter began officially some weeks ago. The maximum temperature reached 78.1 deg. at 2.5 p.m., and was the third highest ever recorded in June. It was the warmest June day since 1931, when a maximum temperature of 80.4 deg., the highest known in June, was recorded. Many people took advantage of the warm weather to swim at the beaches. They found the water cold, but enjoyed a summer sun bath.

August: WARM WEATHER.Temperature a 19-Year Record.With the country urgently in need of rain-some districts are still awating their usual winter rains-the State had a foretaste of summer warmth yesterday. In Perth it was the warmest August day for 19 years, the maximum temperature,77.5deg., being 13.7deg. above,the normal August maximum. Last night there was no immediate prospect of a break in the long spell of fine weather.

Cyclones

February: CYCLONE LOSS WIDESPREAD Extensive Washout In Main Railway
THOUSANDS of pounds damage to crops, buildings, and railand telegraphic and telephone equipment was caused by thecyclone which hit the North Queensland coast on Sunday. Washouts occurred in many sections of the main coastal railway, the worst being near Proserpine, where the rails were suspended for a quarter of a mile.

March: ANOTHER CYCLONE: Serious Damage In Queensland BRISBANE, Friday: A cyclone in northern Queensland has flooded rivers and creeks and dis-organised sail and road services.

Cyclone Causes Record Floods in Far North
SWOOPING down with dramatic suddenness, record floods in the Far North have caused the evacuation of hundreds of residents.Floods are due to the latest cyclone. Ingham, Halifax, and Innisfail have suffered most, but practically all creeks and rivers are in high flood. There have been many thrilling rescues.

Others....HERE

Victoria becomes tornado alley
December: TORNADO NEAR BENDIGO Widespread Damage

also Sydney, and in NSW -see below

November: TORNADO SWEEPS SYDNEY: 2 DEAD

SYDNEY, Thursday. — Heavy damage was caused by a tornadic squall which struck Sydney and suburbs shortly after 3 p.m. today. Most of the damage was done in the northern and western suburbs. A man and a boy were killed. One, of the pylons of the harbour bridge was struck by lightning and half a ton of granite, was dislodged, falling 300 feet to the ground. The velocity of the wind was officially stated at 95 miles an hour.

SYDNEY TORNADO - Wind Attained Record Velocity
The velocity of the wind in the tornadic squall which struck Sydney on Thursday was 95 miles an hour, and was the highest experienced in Sydney or southern Australia since authentic records have been kept.

Adelaide sets autumn heat record
March: HEAT WAVE RECORD IN ADELAIDE Adelaide. Mar. 13.
For the first time in 82 years' of the State's recorded meteorological history a seven-day spell of heat
exceeding 100 degrees has been experienced in Adelaide during two successive summers. The record was established to-day when the temperature for the seventh successive day passed the century, reaching 102.6 degrees.

Bushfire season comes early

September: BIG FIRES RACE THROUGH N.S.W. BUSHLANDS SYDNEY. Monday.-Exceptionally hot spring days with dry winds and no apparent prospects of rain have brought an early bushfire menace to New South Wales this season. Large fires already have been reported from various parts of the State. Metropolitan and suburban fire brigades have been kept busy since early yesterday fighting outbreaks in arid bushland. Yesterday 22 fires were fought and hundreds of acres of bush destroyed. Today a fire broke out in open bushland at Hornsby, and after several hours the brigade was still fighting the flames. They were able to burn effective breaks. A series of small bushfires in the Blue Mountains near Wentworth Falls was fanned yesterday to dangerous proportions by a strong westerly wind. and firemen from several towns have been fighting the flames continuously since yesterday morning.

King-sized hail and Sydney storms

January: HAY STACKS PIERCED BY HAILSTONES BRISBANE, Thursday.
Hailstorms in Warwick, Pittsworth, and Milmerran districts have been so severe that hailstones have penetrated 2ft. into haystacks.

November: Greatest Storm in memory Hail l ft. Deep At Rose Bay SYDNEY, Saturday.Streets littered to a depth of several inches with leaves and torn tree branches, and matted with hailstones, gave evidence at Rose Bay this morning of a terrific storm which struck that suburb last night. Sweeping across like a tornado, the storm was considered the worst in the memory of many residents.The noise was terrific as the wind; increasing in fury, was accompanied by torrential rain and heavy ,hail. Lightning played round the roofs of many houses.

November: Tornado Wipes Out Thousands of Acres of Wheat at Peak Hill The tornado struck the Peak Hill district about twenty miles northwest of the town, and followed a track about three miles wide, completely destroying the wheat crops on more than twenty farms. On 3,000 acres not a head of wheat was left standing-. Some houses were wrecked beyond repair. On one farm a brick house was blown to pieces. Others were unroofed.
Pigs Killed by Hailstones
One farmer had his newly-builthome wrecked, 600 acres of cropsmashed to the ground, and 20 pigskilled by enormous hailstones.

Giant eagles live on in a warmer world!

Oh my, ABC report:  Giant eagle smashes through man's windscreen. Seems that the recent spate of global warming that ABC said was supposed to shrink animals is not quite living up to expectations!