Predicting climate-driven regime shifts versus rebound potential in coral reefs

Nature, Journal Year: 2015, Volume and Issue: 518(7537), P. 94 - 97

Published: Jan. 13, 2015

Language: Английский

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Global disparity in the resilience of coral reefs

Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Journal Year: 2012, Volume and Issue: 27(7), P. 404 - 413

Published: May 31, 2012

Language: Английский

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Human activity selectively impacts the ecosystem roles of parrotfishes on coral reefs

Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2011, Volume and Issue: 279(1733), P. 1621 - 1629

Published: Nov. 16, 2011

Around the globe, coral reefs and other marine ecosystems are increasingly overfished. Conventionally, studies of fishing impacts have focused on population size dynamics targeted stocks rather than broader ecosystem-wide effects harvesting. Using parrotfishes as an example, we show how reef fish populations respond to escalating pressure across Indian Pacific Oceans. Based these abundance data, infer potential impact four key functional roles performed by parrotfishes. Rates bioerosion predation highly sensitive human activity, whereas grazing sediment removal resilient fishing. Our results offer new insights into vulnerability resilience ever-growing footprint. The depletion fishes causes differential decline ecosystem functions, radically changing setting stage for future ecological surprises.

Language: Английский

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Prioritizing Key Resilience Indicators to Support Coral Reef Management in a Changing Climate

PLoS ONE, Journal Year: 2012, Volume and Issue: 7(8), P. e42884 - e42884

Published: Aug. 29, 2012

Managing coral reefs for resilience to climate change is a popular concept but has been difficult implement because the empirical scientific evidence either not evaluated or sometimes unsupportive of theory, which leads uncertainty when considering methods and identifying priority reefs. We asked experts reviewed literature guidance on multiple physical biological factors that affect ability resist recover from disturbance. Eleven key inform decisions based scaling achievability quantifying were identified. Factors important resistance recovery, are components resilience, strongly related, should be assessed independently. The abundance resistant (heat-tolerant) species past temperature variability perceived provide greatest change, while recruitment rates, macroalgae most influential in recovery process. Based 11 factors, we tested an evidence-based framework Indonesian marine protected area. results suggest our evidence-weighted improved upon existing un-weighted terms characterizing distinguishing sites. evaluation supports that, despite high ecological complexity, relatively few strong variables can influencing ecosystem dynamics. This first rigorous assessment promoting reef their importance, evidence, feasibility measurement. There differences between scientists' perceptions factor importance found journal publications more before after impact studies will required fully test validity all factors. here increase defensibility including metrics evaluations reefs, as well reduce costs. Adaptation, areas, setting, resistance, recovery.

Language: Английский

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Changes in Biodiversity and Functioning of Reef Fish Assemblages following Coral Bleaching and Coral Loss

Diversity, Journal Year: 2011, Volume and Issue: 3(3), P. 424 - 452

Published: Aug. 12, 2011

Coral reef ecosystems are increasingly subject to severe, large-scale disturbances caused by climate change (e.g., coral bleaching) and other more direct anthropogenic impacts. Many of these cause loss corresponding changes in habitat structure, which has further important effects on abundance diversity fishes. Declines the fishes considerable concern, given potential ecosystem function. This study explored loss, recorded studies conducted throughout world, also individual responses within different functional groups. Extensive (>60%) almost invariably led declines fish diversity. Moreover, most declined following acute that >10% local cover. Response diversity, is considered critical maintaining function promoting resilience, was very low for corallivores, but much higher herbivores, omnivores carnivores. Sustained ongoing thus poses a significant threat hotspots no less susceptible projected

Language: Английский

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The threat to coral reefs from more intense cyclones under climate change

Global Change Biology, Journal Year: 2017, Volume and Issue: 23(4), P. 1511 - 1524

Published: Jan. 31, 2017

Ocean warming under climate change threatens coral reefs directly, through fatal heat stress to corals and indirectly, by boosting the energy of cyclones that cause destruction loss associated organisms. Although cyclone frequency is unlikely rise, intensity predicted increase globally, causing more frequent occurrences most destructive with potentially severe consequences for reef ecosystems. While increasing considered a pervasive risk reefs, quantitative estimates threats from intensification are lacking due limited data on impacts inform projections. Here, using extensive Australia's Great Barrier Reef (GBR), we show increases in this century sufficient greatly accelerate degradation. Coral losses outer GBR were small, localized offset gains undisturbed than decade, despite numerous periods record stress, until three unusually intense over 5 years drove cover lows >1500 km. Ecological damage was particularly central-southern region where 68% destroyed >1000 km, forcing declines species richness abundance fish communities, many local extirpations. Four later, recovery average relatively slow there further abundance. Slow community diversity appears likely such degraded starting point. Highly unusual characteristics two cyclones, aside high intensity, inflated extent ecological would typically have occurred 100s Modelling published predictions future activity, likelihood within time frames mid-century poses global threat dependent societies.

Language: Английский

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Importance of live coral habitat for reef fishes

Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, Journal Year: 2013, Volume and Issue: 24(1), P. 89 - 126

Published: Aug. 1, 2013

Language: Английский

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Disturbance and the Dynamics of Coral Cover on the Great Barrier Reef (1995–2009)

PLoS ONE, Journal Year: 2011, Volume and Issue: 6(3), P. e17516 - e17516

Published: March 10, 2011

Coral reef ecosystems worldwide are under pressure from chronic and acute stressors that threaten their continued existence. Most obvious among changes to reefs is loss of hard coral cover, but a precise multi-scale estimate cover dynamics for the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) currently lacking. Monitoring data collected annually fixed sites at 47 across 1300 km GBR indicate overall regional was stable (averaging 29% ranging 23% 33% years) with no net decline between 1995 2009. Subregional trends (10–100 km) in were diverse some being very dynamic others changing little. increased six subregions decreased seven subregions. Persistent corals occurred one subregion Acroporidae four non-Acroporidae families. Change accounted 68% change coral. Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) outbreaks storm damage responsible more during this period than either bleaching or disease despite two mass events an increase incidence disease. While limited prior 1980's suggests higher our survey, we found evidence consistent, system-wide since 1995. Instead, fluctuations subregional scales km), driven mostly by fast-growing Acroporidae, as result localized disturbance subsequent recovery.

Language: Английский

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RETRACTED: Chemically mediated behavior of recruiting corals and fishes: A tipping point that may limit reef recovery

Science, Journal Year: 2014, Volume and Issue: 345(6199), P. 892 - 897

Published: Aug. 21, 2014

Corals and reef fish choose nice homes Young animals tend to disperse into new habitats. Can we use populations in protected areas colonize nearby recovering or overused habitats? It seems that for corals fish, the answer may be no. Dixson et al. show dispersing juvenile were overwhelmingly attracted healthy reefs but repelled by seaweeds degraded (see Perspective Bruno). Thus, even species appear passive their choice of habitat have stronger preferences than thought. Science , this issue p. 892 ; see also 879

Language: Английский

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The Ecosystem Roles of Parrotfishes on Tropical Reefs

CRC Press eBooks, Journal Year: 2014, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. 81 - 132

Published: Aug. 18, 2014

Global reductions in biodiversity and the accelerating loss degradation of many world's ecosystems have intensified research into roles species ecosystem processes. Within coral-reef systems, parrotfishes (Labridae) are widely viewed as a key functional group facilitating recovery reefs from recurrent disturbances. Although commonly herbivores, exerting top-down control algal communities, their unique jaws allow them to feed on almost all coral- reef substratum types. Consequently, parrotfish primary agents responsible for number ecological processes coral reefs, namely, bioerosion, sediment production transport, provision space settlement, predation live colonies. The parrotfishes, however, cannot be considered uniform group. Their highly dependent feeding mode (scrapers, excavators, browsers) body size, with larger individuals having disproportionately greater effect dynamics benthic communities than smaller conspecifics. Parrotfish ubiquitous tropical worldwide, yet there is strong spatial structuring taxonomic composition This variation has been shaped by biogeographic history, productivity environment, habitat requirements individual taxa. Over recent decades, increasing fishing pressure destruction had dramatic impact structure assemblages, consequence, normal disrupted. Indeed, systems severely depleted less resilient anthropogenic or natural environmental perturbations. Management strategies protection this critical urgently needed if we maintain diversity, resilience, ecosystems.

Language: Английский

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