Restoration cannot be scaled up globally to save reefs from loss and degradation

Nature Ecology & Evolution, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: April 8, 2025

Language: Английский

---

Reconsidering and rescaling climate change predictions for coral reefs

Nature Climate Change, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 14(8), P. 779 - 781

Published: July 29, 2024

Language: Английский

---

Finding genes and pathways that underlie coral adaptation

Trends in Genetics, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 40(3), P. 213 - 227

Published: Feb. 6, 2024

Language: Английский

---

Natural recovery of corals after severe disturbance

Ecology Letters, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 27(1)

Published: Oct. 18, 2023

Ecosystem recovery from human-induced disturbances, whether through natural processes or restoration, is occurring worldwide. Yet, dynamics, and their implications for broader ecosystem management, remain unclear. We explored dynamics using coral reefs as a case study. tracked the fate of 809 individual recruits that settled after severe bleaching event at Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef. Recruited Acropora corals, first detected in 2020, grew to cover levels were equivalent global average within just 2 years. Furthermore, we found 11.5 per square meter sufficient reach this However, wave exposure, growth form colony density had marked effect on rates. Our results underscore importance considering management restoration highlight how lessons learnt reef can inform our understanding high-diversity climate-disturbed ecosystems.

Language: Английский

---

The AutoSpawner system - Automated ex situ spawning and fertilisation of corals for reef restoration

Journal of Environmental Management, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 366, P. 121886 - 121886

Published: July 18, 2024

The restoration of reefs damaged by global and local pressures remains constrained the scale intervention currently feasible. Traditional methods for ex situ sexual propagation corals produce limited materials, typically genetic diversity only sufficient small field trials. development validation new technologies to upscale automate coral is required achieve logistically financially feasible reef at ecologically relevant scales. To address need upscaled production genetically diverse material use in we designed an automated system (the AutoSpawner) harvesting, fertilising washing gametes from tropical broadcast-spawning corals. includes a novel high density dynamic fertilisation process, which enables large numbers fertilised eggs (>7 million per night highly fecund species) without any downstream negative effects on larval quality. functionality quality produced larvae was assessed using multiple species two families (Acroporidae Merulinidae) across range spawning gamete characteristics. We present schematics protocols high-quality this system; demonstrate that time demands, labour costs, associated with traditional manual-based can be reduced up 113-fold AutoSpawner.

Language: Английский

---

Decadal‐scale time series highlight the role of chronic disturbances in driving ecosystem collapse in the Anthropocene

Ecology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 105(8)

Published: June 20, 2024

Biome degradation characterizes the Anthropocene Epoch, and modern ecology is deeply involved with describing changes underway. Most research has focused on role of acute disturbances in causing conspicuous ecosystem structure, which leads to an underappreciation chronic effects large through cumulative small perturbations over decades. Coral reefs epitomize this trend, because community structure are profound, yet data quantify these usually insufficient evaluate relative roles different disturbance types. Here, four decades surveys from two coral (9 14 m depth) off St. John, US Virgin Islands, used associations events benthic structure. These profoundly changed 36 years, death altering species assemblages depress abundances ecologically important Orbicella spp. elevating coverage macroalgae crustose coralline algae/turf/bare space (CTB). Linear mixed models revealed prominent variation temperature accounting for corals, macroalgae, CTB, rising associated increases cover deep reef, declines shallow reef. Hurricanes were also Multivariate analyses strong between temperature, but weaker hurricanes, bleaching, diseases. results highlight overwhelming importance chronically increasing Caribbean reefs.

Language: Английский

---

Paleo reefs provide clues for contemporary climate-change refugia

Cell Reports Sustainability, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. 100289 - 100289

Published: Jan. 1, 2025

SummaryMarine heatwaves are increasing in intensity and frequency, causing worldwide coral bleaching, reductions cover, shifts species composition. Recent studies have found, however, that inshore turbid reefs more resistant to heat stress than offshore clear-water reefs. Inshore reefs, therefore, may play a critical role as climate-change refuges for contemporary subjected marine heatwaves. This perspective explores the importance of past, present, future. Paleo records show were also crucial during historically warm periods. Yet, especially vulnerable pollution land-use-change runoff, which absent paleo times. Therefore, need strategic management protection maintain their refugia oceans continue warm.

Language: Английский

---

The governance of marine and coral reef restoration, lessons and paths forward for novel interventions

Environmental Science & Policy, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 164, P. 103999 - 103999

Published: Jan. 17, 2025

Language: Английский

---

Pruning dead branches in gorgonian forests as an effective restoration tool against mortality events induced by global change

Biological Conservation, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 302, P. 110982 - 110982

Published: Jan. 20, 2025

Language: Английский

---

Considerations for determining warm-water coral reef tipping points

Earth System Dynamics, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 16(1), P. 275 - 292

Published: Feb. 7, 2025

Abstract. Warm-water coral reefs are facing unprecedented human-driven threats to their continued existence as biodiverse functional ecosystems upon which hundreds of millions people rely. These impacts may drive past critical thresholds, beyond the system reorganises, often abruptly and potentially irreversibly; this is what Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2022) define a tipping point. Determining point thresholds for reef requires robust assessment multiple stressors interactive effects. In perspective piece, we draw recent global revision initiative (Lenton et al., 2023a) literature search identify summarise diverse range interacting that need be considered determining warm-water ecosystems. Considering observed projected stressor impacts, endorse revision's conclusion mean surface temperature (relative pre-industrial) threshold 1.2 °C (range 1–1.5 °C) long-term atmospheric CO2 concentrations above 350 ppm, while acknowledging comprehensive stressors, including ocean warming response dynamics, overshoot, cascading have yet sufficiently realised. already been exceeded, therefore these systems in an overshoot state reliant policy actions bring levels back within limits. A fuller likely further lower most cases. Uncertainties around points such crucially important underline imperative and, case knowledge gaps, employing precautionary principle favouring lower-range values.

Language: Английский

---