Survival of aquatic species during the global flood

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Noah did not take any fish on the ark,^[1] so every species of fish observable today had to survive out in the open ocean for the 367 day^[2] duration of the flood. This would have presented numerous insurmountable problems. The mixing of salt and fresh water would have killed many fish, tremendous oceanic turbulence would have killed others, and still others thrown out of their normal habitat would die of starvation.

1 Demonstrating the obvious
2 Salinity change
3 Turbulence
4 Sediment accumulation
5 Habitat destruction
6 Pressure fluctuation
7 See also
8 Footnotes

[edit] Demonstrating the obvious

It should be clear that the story of Noah’s Ark and the flood is a myth. Unfortunately scientists need to make elaborate studies with computer models to demonstrate the obvious to Fundamentalist Christians.

[edit] Salinity change

Changes in salinity would have killed many of the fish.^[3] Most marine life cannot survive in water of reduced salinity, and likewise most freshwater creatures cannot tolerate increased salinity. This is a simple fact due to the nature of their evolved osmotic membranes, which tend to allow water itself to move in only one direction - into the animal in salt water, and out of it in fresh water.

[edit] Turbulence

Models of the global flood result in ocean currents fluctuating between 40 and 80 meters per second,^[4] a speed over 4000% times as fast as the fastest ocean currents today, which peak at 2 meters per second.^[5] This would have caused massive turbulence that many species would be unable to survive.

Aquatic species such as the manta ray, which spends most of its time in close proximity to the ocean floor,^[6] would be repeatedly bashed against the bottom of the ocean, a collision it would be unable to survive even once. All coral reef fish, and the reefs themselves, would meet a similar fate.

[edit] Sediment accumulation

The global flooding and the extreme turbulence caused in the Noah's Ark myth would have stripped the earth of topsoil.^[7] This would have caused extreme problems for aquatic species that require clear water, and they would choke on particulate concentrations nearing 30%.^[3]

[edit] Habitat destruction

Coral reefs, which consist of the accumulated calcerous exoskeletons of tiny invertebrate polyps, provide a habitat for many creatures. They are also very sensitive to changes in salinity, temperature and depth (which includes higher pressures and lower levels of sunlight); the corals would not have survived such a massive inundation.