scholarly journals Evolution and connectivity influence the persistence and recovery of coral reefs under climate change in the Caribbean, Southwest Pacific, and Coral Triangle

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa C. McManus ◽  
Daniel L. Forrest ◽  
Edward W. Tekwa ◽  
Daniel E. Schindler ◽  
Madhavi A. Colton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Coral Reef ◽  
Coral Cover ◽  
Larval Settlement ◽  
Network Size ◽  
Coral Triangle ◽  
Southwest Pacific ◽  
Network Characteristics ◽  
Coral Communities ◽  
The Caribbean

AbstractCorals are experiencing unprecedented decline from climate change-induced mass bleaching events. Dispersal not only contributes to coral reef persistence through demographic rescue but can also hinder or facilitate evolutionary adaptation. Locations of reefs that are likely to survive future warming therefore remain largely unknown, particularly within the context of both ecological and evolutionary processes across complex seascapes that differ in temperature range, strength of connectivity, network size, and other characteristics. Here, we used eco-evolutionary simulations to examine coral adaptation to warming across reef networks in the Caribbean, the Southwest Pacific, and the Coral Triangle. We assessed the factors associated with coral persistence in multiple reef systems to understand which results are general and which are sensitive to particular geographic contexts. We found that evolution can be critical in preventing extinction and facilitating the long-term recovery of coral communities in all regions. Furthermore, the strength of immigration to a reef (destination strength) and current sea surface temperature robustly predicted reef persistence across all reef networks and across temperature projections. However, we found higher initial coral cover, slower recovery, and more evolutionary lag in the Coral Triangle, which has a greater number of reefs and more larval settlement than the other regions. We also found the lowest projected future coral cover in the Caribbean. These findings suggest that coral reef persistence depends on ecology, evolution, and habitat network characteristics, and that, under an emissions stabilization scenario (RCP 4.5), recovery may be possible over multiple centuries.

scholarly journals Evolution and connectivity influence the persistence and recovery of coral reefs under climate change in the Caribbean, Southwest Pacific, and Coral Triangle

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa C. McManus ◽  
Daniel L. Forrest ◽  
Edward W. Tekwa ◽  
Daniel E. Schindler ◽  
Madhavi A. Colton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Coral Triangle ◽  
Southwest Pacific ◽  
The Caribbean

scholarly journals Coral reef diversity losses in China’s Greater Bay Area were driven by regional stressors

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (40) ◽  
pp. eabb1046
Author(s):  
Jonathan D. Cybulski ◽  
Stefan M. Husa ◽  
Nicolas N. Duprey ◽  
Briony L. Mamo ◽  
Toby P. N. Tsang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Coral Reef ◽  
Inorganic Nitrogen ◽  
Species Dominance ◽  
Critical Gap ◽  
The Past ◽  
Bay Area ◽  
Poor Water Quality ◽  
Coral Communities ◽  
And Function

Observations of coral reef losses to climate change far exceed our understanding of historical degradation before anthropogenic warming. This is a critical gap to fill as conservation efforts simultaneously work to reverse climate change while restoring coral reef diversity and function. Here, we focused on southern China’s Greater Bay Area, where coral communities persist despite centuries of coral mining, fishing, dredging, development, and pollution. We compared subfossil assemblages with modern-day communities and revealed a 40% decrease in generic diversity, concomitant to a shift from competitive to stress-tolerant species dominance since the mid-Holocene. Regions with characteristically poor water quality—high chl-a, dissolved inorganic nitrogen, and turbidity—had lower contemporary diversity and the greatest community composition shift observed in the past, driven by the near extirpation of Acropora. These observations highlight the urgent need to mitigate local stressors from development in concert with curbing greenhouse gas emissions.

scholarly journals Comparative Effects of Different Disturbances in Coral Reef Habitats in Moorea, French Polynesia

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mélanie L. Trapon ◽  
Morgan S. Pratchett ◽  
Lucie Penin
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Coral Reef ◽  
Ecosystem Management ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Coral Cover ◽  
French Polynesia ◽  
North Coast ◽  
Tropical Storms ◽  
The North ◽  
Coral Composition

Degradation and loss of critical coastal habitats has significant ramifications for marine fisheries, such that knowledge of changes in habitat quality and quantity are fundamental to effective ecosystem management. This study explores changes in the structure of coral reef habitats, specifically changes in coral cover and composition, in Moorea, French Polynesia, to assess the independent and combined effects of different disturbances since 1979. During this period, reefs on the north coast have been subject to coral bleaching, severe tropical storms, as well as outbreaks ofAcanthaster. Coral cover varied significantly among years, showing marked declines during some, but not all, disturbances. The greatest rates of coral loss coincided with outbreaks ofA. planci. Moreover, successive disturbances have had differential effects among coral genera, leading to strong directional shifts in coral composition.Acroporais declining in abundance and coral assemblages are becoming increasingly dominated byPocillopora and Porites. Observed changes in the cover and composition of corals are likely to have further significant impacts on the reef fish assemblages. Given that significant disturbances have been mostly associated with outbreaks ofA. planci, rather than climate change, effective ecosystem management may reduce and/or delay impending effects of climate change.

scholarly journals Coral distribution and bleaching vulnerability areas in Southwestern Atlantic under ocean warming

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Bleuel ◽  
Maria Grazia Pennino ◽  
Guilherme O. Longo
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Coral Cover ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Ocean Warming ◽  
Southwestern Atlantic ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Coral Communities ◽  
Conservation Actions ◽  
High Emission ◽  
High Emission Scenario

AbstractGlobal climate change is a major threat to reefs by increasing the frequency and severity of coral bleaching events over time, reducing coral cover and diversity. Ocean warming may cause shifts in coral communities by increasing temperatures above coral’s upper thermal limits in tropical regions, and by making extratropical regions (marginal reefs) more suitable and potential refugia. We used Bayesian models to project coral occurrence, cover and bleaching probabilities in Southwestern Atlantic and predicted how these probabilities will change under a high-emission scenario (RCP8.5). By overlapping these projections, we categorized areas that combine high probabilities of coral occurrence, cover and bleaching as vulnerability-hotspots. Current coral occurrence and cover probabilities were higher in the tropics (1°S–20°S) but both will decrease and shift to new suitable extratropical reefs (20°S–27°S; tropicalization) with ocean warming. Over 90% of the area present low and mild vulnerability, while the vulnerability-hotspots represent ~ 3% under current and future scenarios, but include the most biodiverse reef complex in South Atlantic (13°S–18°S; Abrolhos Bank). As bleaching probabilities increase with warming, the least vulnerable areas that could act as potential refugia are predicted to reduce by 50%. Predicting potential refugia and highly vulnerable areas can inform conservation actions to face climate change.

scholarly journals Rapidly increasing macroalgal cover not related to herbivorous fishes on Mesoamerican reefs

PeerJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e2084 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Suchley ◽  
Melanie D. McField ◽  
Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reef ◽  
Coral Cover ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Herbivorous Fish ◽  
Primary Role ◽  
Macroalgal Cover ◽  
Control Paradigm ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
The Impact

Long-term phase shifts from coral to macroalgal dominated reef systems are well documented in the Caribbean. Although the impact of coral diseases, climate change and other factors is acknowledged, major herbivore loss through disease and overfishing is often assigned a primary role. However, direct evidence for the link between herbivore abundance, macroalgal and coral cover is sparse, particularly over broad spatial scales. In this study we use a database of coral reef surveys performed at 85 sites along the Mesoamerican Reef of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras, to examine potential ecological links by tracking site trajectories over the period 2005–2014. Despite the long-term reduction of herbivory capacity reported across the Caribbean, the Mesoamerican Reef region displayed relatively low macroalgal cover at the onset of the study. Subsequently, increasing fleshy macroalgal cover was pervasive. Herbivorous fish populations were not responsible for this trend as fleshy macroalgal cover change was not correlated with initial herbivorous fish biomass or change, and the majority of sites experienced increases in macroalgae browser biomass. This contrasts the coral reef top-down herbivore control paradigm and suggests the role of external factors in making environmental conditions more favourable for algae. Increasing macroalgal cover typically suppresses ecosystem services and leads to degraded reef systems. Consequently, policy makers and local coral reef managers should reassess the focus on herbivorous fish protection and consider complementary measures such as watershed management in order to arrest this trend.

scholarly journals Coral cover and rubble cryptofauna abundance and diversity at outplanted reefs in Okinawa, Japan

PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e9185
Author(s):  
Piera Biondi ◽  
Giovanni Diego Masucci ◽  
James Davis Reimer
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Coral Reef ◽  
Coral Cover ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Live Coral ◽  
Okinawa Island ◽  
Control Location ◽  
Coral Coverage ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
And Control

Global climate change is leading to damage and loss of coral reef ecosystems. On subtropical Okinawa Island in southwestern Japan, the prefectural government is working on coral reef restoration by outplanting coral colonies from family Acroporidae back to reefs after initially farming colonies inside protected nurseries. In order to establish a baseline for future comparisons, in this study we documented the current status of reefs undergoing outplanting at Okinawa Island, and nearby locations where no human manipulation has occurred. We examined three sites on the coast of Onna Village on the west coast of the island; each site included an outplanted and control location. We used (1) coral rubble sampling to measure and compare abundance and diversity of rubble cryptofauna; and (2) coral reef monitoring using Line Intercept Transects to track live coral coverage. Results showed that rubble shape had a positive correlation with the numbers of animals found within rubble themselves and may therefore constitute a reliable abundance predictor. Each outplanted location did not show differences with the corresponding control location in terms of rubble cryptofauna abundance, but outplanted locations had significantly lower coral coverage. Overall, differences between sites (Maeganeku1, Maeganeku2 and Manza, each including both outplanted and control locations) were significant, for both rubble cryptofauna and coral coverage. We recommend (1) to outplant colonies from more stress-resistant genera in place of Acropora, and (2) to conduct regular surveys to monitor the situation closely. With a lack of baseline data preceding impacts, rigorous monitoring over time can highlight trends towards increases or decreases in evaluated variables, allowing to obtain a clearer idea of the effects of transplants and on the trajectory of impacts due to climate change and local stressors . Finally, we also recommend (3) to establish conservation and sustainable practices that could aid the ongoing restoration efforts such as installing anchoring buoys to reduce impacts from anchoring, which could reduce coral mortality of both outplanted and native coral colonies.

scholarly journals Status and conservation of coral reefs in Costa Rica

2015 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Cortés ◽  
Carlos E Jiménez ◽  
Ana C Fonseca ◽  
Juan José Alvarado
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Coral Cover ◽  
Live Coral ◽  
Caribbean Coast ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Coral Communities ◽  
Algal Ridge ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
The Government

<span>Costa Rica has coral communities and reefs on the Caribbean coast and on the Pacific along the coast and off-shore islands. The Southern section of the Caribbean coast has fringing and patch reefs, carbonate banks, and an incipient algal ridge. The Pacific coast has coral communities, reefs and isolated coral colonies. Coral reefs have been seriously impacted in the last 30 years, mainly by sediments (Caribbean coast and some Pacific reefs) and by El Niño warming events (both coasts). Monitoring is being carried out at three sites on each coast. Both coasts suffered significant reductions in live coral cover in the 1980’s, but coral cover is now increasing in most sites. The government of Costa Rica is aware of the importance of coral reefs and marine environments in general, and in recent years decrees have been implemented (or are in the process of approval) to protect them, but limited resources endanger their proper management and conservation, including proper outreach to reef users and the general public.</span>

scholarly journals Unraveling a resilient reef: structure and composition of Varadero, an imperiled coral reef in the Colombian Caribbean

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valeria Pizarro ◽  
Sara C Rodríguez ◽  
Mateo López-Victoria ◽  
Fernando A Zapata ◽  
Sven Zea ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reef ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Coral Cover ◽  
Good Condition ◽  
Ecosystem Goods And Services ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Magdalena River ◽  
High Sediment

Coral reefs supply millions of people with ecosystem goods and services, especially those living along tropical coastlines. Unfortunately, these ecosystems are disappearing at an alarming pace. In the Caribbean, the rate of coral loss is high (5.5 – 9.2% per year) and constant. In 2013, a healthy coral reef was discovered in one of the least expected places within the Colombian Caribbean: at the entrance of Cartagena Bay, a highly-polluted system that receives industrial and sewage waste, as well as high sediment and freshwater loads from an outlet of the Magdalena River (the longest and most populated river basin in Colombia). Here we provide the first characterization of Varadero Reef’s geomorphology and biological diversity. We also compare these characteristics with those of a nearby reference reef, Barú Reef, located in an area much less influenced by the described polluted system. Below the murky waters, we found high coral cover of 45.1% (± 3.9; up to 80% in some sectors), three species of lobster, eight of sea urchin, a fish community composed by 61 species from 24 families, and the typical zonation of a Caribbean fringing reef. All attributes found correspond to a reef that, according to current standards should be considered in "good condition". Current plans to dredge part of Varadero threaten the survival of this reef and could hinder efforts to uncover the underpinnings of this reef’s remarkable resilience. There is, therefore, an urgent need to describe the location and characteristics of Varadero as a first step towards gaining acknowledgement of its existence and garnering inherent legal and environmental protections.

scholarly journals Biodiversitas Karang Batu (Scleractinia) di Perairan Kendari (Biodiversity of Corals (Scleractinian) at Kendari Waters)

2012 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rikoh M Sirongoringo ◽  
Ratna D Palupi ◽  
Tri A Hadi
Keyword(s):  
Coral Cover ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Patch Reef ◽  
Good Condition ◽  
Line Transect ◽  
Coral Triangle ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Coral Communities ◽  
Good Potential ◽  
The Impact

Perairan Kendari merupakan bagian dari wilayah segitiga karang dunia atau lebih dikenal dengan kawasan Coral Triangle Initiative yang memiliki keragaman karang yang sangat tinggi. Daerah pesisir dan pulau-pulau kecil dilokasi ini mempunyai potensi yang sangat baik bagi kehidupan manusia, namun pada beberapa lokasi terdapat beberapa aktivitas penambangan di darat, yang mana sedikit banyak pasti berdampak bagi kehidupan ekosistem di daerah pantai. Pengamatan terhadap komunitas karang dilakukan di 5 stasiun dengan mengunakan metode transek garis (Line transect). Tujuan pengamatan untuk mengetahui Kondisi terumbukarang, biodiversitas karang. Dari hasil pengamatan menunjukkan bahwa secara umum kondisi karang masih dikategorikan baik dengan rerata persentase tutupan karang 60,25 % (SE 7,08). Persentase tutupan karang hidup mulai dari 42,90-82,60 %. Persentase karang tertinggi berada di Teluk Wawobatu (ST. 1) Sedangkan yang paling rendah yaitu di patch reef Tukalanggara, Gosong Timur (ST. 2). Keragaman karang tertinggi di Pulau Bahulu (ST. 4) walaupun sedimentasi dan pengaruh air tawar terlihat jelas, namun keragaman karang masih tinggi. Jumlah jenis karang baik dari hasil transek maupun koleksi bebas diperoleh 184 jenis karang batu yang masuk dalam 15 famili. Kondisi substrat dasar sangat mempengaruhi keberhasilan polyp karang untuk tumbuh dan berkembang menjadi karang dewasa.Kata kunci: biodiversitas, karang bat, Perairan KendariKendari Waters are well known as The Coral Triangle Region in which has great biodiversity of corals. The Coral regions and The small islands in this location possess good potential aspects for human beings, but on the other hand, in particular areas, there are some minning activities which more or less affect the life of marine ecosystem in coastal areas. The observation of coral communities was carried out at five sites utilizing LIT as the method. The aim of this research is to invesitgate the condition of coral reefs and coral biodiversityl. The result indicates generally the coral reef conditions are categorized in good condition, having avarage of the coral cover percentage up to 60,25% (SE 7,08). The coral cover percentage ranges from 42,90-82,60 %. The highest percentage belongs to Wawobatu bay (ST. 1), whereas The lowest belongs to patch reef Tukalanggara (ST. 2). The highest biodiversity belongs to Bahulu island (ST. 4) although the sedimentation and the impact of fresh waterstill obviously occur. The number of corals observed from both LIT and free collection transects is 184 species divided into 15 families. The condition of the bottom substrate influences the success of coral polyps to grow and develop into adutl coralsKey words: biodiversity, stony coral and Kendari waters

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