Global Warming and Widespread Coral Mortality: Evidence of First Coral Reef Extinctions

2012 ◽  
pp. 103-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter W. Glynn
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Coral Reef ◽  
Coral Mortality

scholarly journals Modeling regional coral reef responses to global warming and changes in ocean chemistry: Caribbean case study

2011 ◽  
Vol 109 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 375-397 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. W. Buddemeier ◽  
Diana R. Lane ◽  
J. A. Martinich
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Coral Reef ◽  
Ocean Chemistry

Bioeroding sponge assemblages: the importance of substrate availability and sediment

2018 ◽  
Vol 99 (2) ◽  
pp. 343-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Marlow ◽  
Christine H.L. Schönberg ◽  
Simon K. Davy ◽  
Abdul Haris ◽  
Jamaluddin Jompa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reef ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Spatial Variation ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Sponge Species ◽  
Coral Mortality ◽  
Substrate Availability ◽  
Abiotic Conditions ◽  
Assemblage Composition ◽  
Reef Health

Despite global deterioration of coral reef health, not all reef-associated organisms are in decline. Bioeroding sponges are thought to be largely resistant to the factors that stress and kill corals, and are increasing in abundance on many reefs. However, there is a paucity of information on how environmental factors influence spatial variation in the distribution of these sponges, and how they might be affected by different stressors. We aimed to identify the factors that explained differences in bioeroding sponge abundance and assemblage composition, and to determine whether bioeroding sponges benefit from the same environmental conditions that can contribute towards coral mortality. Abundance surveys were conducted in the Wakatobi region of Indonesia on reefs characterized by different biotic and abiotic conditions. Bioeroding sponges occupied an average of 8.9% of available dead substrate and variation in abundance and assemblage composition was primarily attributed to differences in the availability of dead substrate. Our results imply that if dead substrate availability increases as a consequence of coral mortality, bioeroding sponge abundance is also likely to increase. However, bioeroding sponge abundance was lowest on a sedimented reef, despite abundant dead substrate. This suggests that not all forms of coral mortality will benefit all bioeroding sponge species, and sediment-degraded reefs are likely to be dominated by a few resilient bioeroding sponge species. Overall, we demonstrate the importance of understanding the drivers of bioeroding sponge abundance and assemblage composition in order to predict possible impacts of different stressors on reefs communities.

scholarly journals STATUS TERUMBU KARANG DAN IKAN KARANG DI GILI MATRA, NUSA TENGGARA BARAT

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 14
Author(s):  
Eghbert Elvan Ampou ◽  
Suciadi Catur Nugroho ◽  
Nuryani Widagti
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Coral Reef ◽  
Coral Cover ◽  
Reef Fishes ◽  
Coral Mortality ◽  
Hard Coral ◽  
Mortality Index ◽  
Fish Group ◽  
Hard Coral Cover ◽  
Reef Condition

This study aims to identify the status of reef fishes and coral reefs in Gili Meno, Air, and Trawangan or Gili Matra waters. This area is part of the North Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara Province. Field observation was conducted on September 2011 at 11 (eleven) diving points. The video-transect method was used for observing the coral reef condition, while reef fishes abundance was observed by using visual-census method. The parameter that used to determine the condition of coral reef in study location are the percentage of live hard coral cover and index of coral mortality. In general, the result shows that percentage of live hard coral cover in each diving point ranged from 4.4% - 37.2% and the Coral Mortality Index (IMK) ranged form 0.40-0.92. The values describe that the condition of coral reef at eleven diving points vary from fair until poor condition. Current status of coral reef condition showed an insignificant increase from bad to moderate during the period 2011 -2018. There were 23 families of reef fishes from 46 genera were found during the study consisting of 16 genera of target fish groups, 5 genera of indicator fish group, and 25 genera of major fish group. The water quality is still within the limits of environmental quality standards.   Keywords: Reef fish, coral reef, Mortality Index, water quality, Gili Matra

scholarly journals KONDISI EKOSISTEM TERUMBU KARANG DI PERAIRAN KRUENG RAYA, KABUPATEN ACEH BESAR

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 11
Author(s):  
Nurul Najmi ◽  
M Rizki Fazillah ◽  
Muhammad Agustiar
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reef ◽  
Coral Cover ◽  
Live Coral ◽  
Coral Mortality ◽  
Coral Reef Ecosystem ◽  
Dead Coral ◽  
High Increase ◽  
Mortality Index ◽  
Malacca Strait ◽  
Reef Ecosystem

This study aims to analyze the condition of the coral reef ecosystem including the substrate, genus composition, and the level of coral mortality in the waters of the Malacca Strait, Masjid Raya District, Aceh Besar District. The research was conducted from October 2016 to October 2019 in the waters of the Malacca Strait, Masjid Raya District, Aceh Besar District. The research site is divided into three stations consisting of Lhok Mee Station, Ahmad Rhang Manyang and Benteng Inong Balee Station. Data were collected using the Point Intercept Transect method. The results showed that the condition of coral reefs at Lhok Mee Station was in the damaged category with coral cover ranging from 6.56% - 13.44%. Ahmad Rhang Manyang Station is included in the moderate to good category with coral cover ranging from 38.75% - 67.19%. Meanwhile, Benteng Inong Balee Station is included in the medium category with coral cover ranging from 45.94% - 56.88%. The monitoring results found that 30 coral genera with the highest composition of the coral genera came from the Porites genus, while other coral genera were unevenly distributed. The value of the mortality index for Lhok Mee Station shows a high increase in mortality of live coral to dead coral. Meanwhile, Ahmad Rhang Manyang and Benteng Inong Balee stations have low coral mortality index values.

scholarly journals Coral Reefs: Beyond Mortality?

2000 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 7-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Sheppard
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reef ◽  
Soft Coral ◽  
Arabian Gulf ◽  
Personal Communication ◽  
Coral Mortality ◽  
Living Coral ◽  
Whole Number ◽  
Reef Communities ◽  
The Indian Ocean ◽  
Chagos Archipelago

The scale of the collapse of coral reef communities in 1998 following a warming episode (Wilkinson, 2000) was unprecedented, and took many people by surprise. The Indian Ocean was the worst affected with a coral mortality over 75% in many areas such as the Chagos Archipelago (Sheppard, 1999), Seychelles (Spencer et al., 2000) and Maldives (McClanahan, 2000). Several other locations were affected at least as much, with mortality reaching 100% (to the nearest whole number); this is being compiled by various authors (e.g., CORDIO, in press). For example, in the Arabian Gulf, coral mortality is almost total across many large areas of shallow water (Sheppard, unpublished; D. George and D. John, personal communication). The mortality is patchy of course, depending on currents, location inside or outside lagoons, etc., but it is now possible to swim for over 200 m and see not one remaining living coral or soft coral on some previously rich reefs.

scholarly journals Impacts of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) on Coral Community Structure at an Inshore Patch Reef of the Upper Florida Keys Using Photomosaics

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham Kolodziej ◽  
Michael S. Studivan ◽  
Arthur C. R. Gleason ◽  
Chris Langdon ◽  
Ian C. Enochs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Coral Reef ◽  
Coral Cover ◽  
Florida Keys ◽  
Coral Community ◽  
Tissue Loss ◽  
Coral Tissue ◽  
Coral Mortality ◽  
Stony Coral ◽  
Reef Tract

Since the appearance of stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) on reefs off Miami in 2014, this unprecedented outbreak has spread across the entirety of Florida’s coral reef tract, as well as to many territories throughout the Caribbean. The endemic zone reached the upper Florida Keys by 2016, resulting in partial or complete mortality of coral colonies across numerous species. Disease was first observed at Cheeca Rocks (Islamorada, Florida) in the beginning of 2018, with reports of coral mortality peaking mid-year. The disease was still present at Cheeca Rocks as of March 2020, however, to a lesser degree compared to the initial outbreak. Annual monitoring efforts have been ongoing at Cheeca Rocks since 2012, including repeated benthic photomosaics of a 330 m2 survey zone, spanning six replicate sites. As such, a repository of coral community composition data exists for before and after the disease outbreak that was analyzed to assess the impacts of SCTLD on reef communities at an upper Florida Keys inshore reef. Cheeca Rocks is hypothesized to be a resilient reef due to its persistent high coral cover despite its inshore location, which subjects corals to fluctuating water quality and marginal environmental conditions. Coral populations here have been shown to recover from bleaching events and heat stress with minimal coral mortality. Though colonies of coral species characterized as highly and moderately susceptible to SCTLD (e.g., Colpophyllia natans, Diploria labyrinthiformis, Pseudodiploria strigosa, Orbicella annularis, and O. faveolata) suffered mortality as a result of the outbreak with an average loss of 16.42% relative cover by species, the overall impacts on coral cover and community structure were relatively low, contributing to a loss of total coral cover of only 1.65%. Comparison of photomosaic data to other studies indicate Cheeca Rocks may not have been affected as severely as other sites on Florida’s coral reef tract, underlying this site’s potential role in coral resilience to stressors including bleaching events, land-based pollution, and disease epizootics.

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