Biogeochemical extremes and compound events in the ocean

Nature, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 600(7889), P. 395 - 407

Published: Dec. 15, 2021

Language: Английский

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Crustose coralline algae can contribute more than corals to coral reef carbonate production

Communications Earth & Environment, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 4(1)

Published: April 6, 2023

Abstract Understanding the drivers of net coral reef calcium carbonate production is increasingly important as ocean warming, acidification, and other anthropogenic stressors threaten maintenance structures services these ecosystems provide. Despite intense research effort on production, inclusion a key forming/accreting calcifying group, crustose coralline algae, remains challenging both from theoretical practical standpoint. While corals are typically primary builders contemporary reefs, algae can contribute equally. Here, we combine several sets data with numerical modelling to demonstrate that match or even exceed contribution production. their importance, often inaccurately recorded in benthic surveys entirely missing budgets. We outline recommendations improve into such budgets under ongoing climate crisis.

Language: Английский

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Drivers of recovery and reassembly of coral reef communities

Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2019, Volume and Issue: 286(1897), P. 20182908 - 20182908

Published: Feb. 20, 2019

Understanding processes that drive community recovery are needed to predict ecosystem trajectories and manage for impacts under increasing global threats. Yet, the quantification of in coral reefs has been challenging owing a paucity long-term ecological data high frequency disturbances. Here we investigate re-assembly bio-physical drivers determine capacity recover following 1998 bleaching event, using monitoring across four habitats Palau. Our study documents time from disturbance coral-dominated state disturbance-free regimes is at least 9-12 years. Importantly, show two achieve relative stability climax within frame. We then investigated direct indirect effects on rate dominant groups structural equation modelling approach. While rates differed among groups, found larval connectivity juvenile density were prominent fast growing Acropora but not other three groups. Competitive algae parrotfish had negative positive general, whereas wave exposure variable related morphology. Overall, habitat specific taxa specific, considerations require incorporation into planning management climate change.

Language: Английский

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Rebuilding coral reefs: success (and failure) 16 years after low‐cost, low‐tech restoration

Restoration Ecology, Journal Year: 2019, Volume and Issue: 27(4), P. 862 - 869

Published: Feb. 13, 2019

Calls for coral reef restoration are increasing amidst continued declines, yet we know little about long‐term outcomes and conditions that lead to successful recovery. Here, report on one of the longest monitoring studies following 16 years large‐scale, “low‐tech” experimental rehabilitation rubble fields created by chronic blast fishing in Komodo National Park, Indonesia. After had stopped, absence rehabilitation, hard cover remained 3% from 1999 2016, but treatments, increased 0% 2002 44.5% (±21.9% SD) 2016. Coral varied among sites treatments (ranging <5 >80% 2016) patterns may reflect current strength turbidity. Our results demonstrate low‐tech substrate stabilization can facilitate natural recruitment growth. We conclude relatively low‐cost methods deliver sustained should be incorporated more widely activities inform return investment.

Language: Английский

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Landscape‐scale patterns of nutrient enrichment in a coral reef ecosystem: implications for coral to algae phase shifts

Ecological Applications, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 31(1)

Published: Sept. 24, 2020

Nutrient pollution is altering coastal ecosystems worldwide. On coral reefs, excess nutrients can favor the production of algae at expense reef-building corals, yet role in driving community changes such as shifts from to macroalgae not well understood. Here we investigate potential anthropogenic nutrient loading recent coral-to-macroalgae phase on reefs lagoons surrounding Pacific island Moorea, French Polynesia. We use nitrogen (N) tissue content and stable isotopes (δ15 N) an abundant macroalga (Turbinaria ornata) together with empirical models discharge describe spatial temporal patterns enrichment lagoons. then employ time series data test whether increases are associated nutrients. Our results revealed that N were linked several factors, including rainfall, wave-driven circulation, distance sources, especially human sewage. Reefs near large watersheds, where inputs sewage agriculture high, have been consistently enriched for least last decade. In many these areas, corals decreased increased, while lower levels input maintained high cover low macroalgae. Importantly, patchy occurred despite substantial island-wide density biomass herbivorous fishes over period. Together, indicate may be important driver Moorea even though harbor diverse herbivore assemblage. These emphasize bottom-up factors play underscore critical importance watershed management reducing other land-based pollutants reef ecosystems.

Language: Английский

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Response diversity in corals: hidden differences in bleaching mortality among cryptic Pocillopora species

Ecology, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 102(6)

Published: March 10, 2021

Abstract Variation among functionally similar species in their response to environmental stress buffers ecosystems from changing states. Functionally may often be cryptic representing evolutionarily distinct genetic lineages that are morphologically indistinguishable. However, the extent which differ stress, and could therefore provide a source of diversity, remains unclear because they not identified or assumed ecologically equivalent. Here, we uncover differences bleaching between sympatric common Indo‐Pacific coral, Pocillopora . In April 2019, prolonged ocean heating occurred at Moorea, French Polynesia. 72% pocilloporid colonies bleached after 22 d severe (>8 o C‐days) 10 m depth on north shore fore reef. Colony mortality ranged 11% 42% around island four months subsided. The majority (86%) pocilloporids died belonged single haplotype, despite twelve haplotypes, least five species, being sampled. Mitochondrial (open reading frame) sequence variation was greater haplotypes experienced versus all survived than it nominal survived. Colonies > 30 cm diameter were as haplotype experiencing most mortality, 1125 genetically identified, increased with colony size. Mortality did increase size within suffering highest suggesting size‐dependent genus level caused instead by species. relative abundance shifted February August, driven declines same for estimated directly, sites where heat accumulation greatest, larger sizes occurred. identification indistinguishable thermal but share ecological function terms maintaining coral‐dominated state, has important consequences uncovering diversity drives resilience, especially systems low declining functional diversity.

Language: Английский

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Coral recruitment: patterns and processes determining the dynamics of coral populations

Biological reviews/Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 98(6), P. 1862 - 1886

Published: June 20, 2023

Coral recruitment describes the addition of new individuals to populations, and it is one most fundamental demographic processes contributing population size. As many coral reefs around world have experienced large declines in cover abundance, there has been great interest understanding factors causing vary conditions under which can support community resilience. While progress these areas being facilitated by technological scientific advances, best tools quantify remains humble settlement tile, variants use for over a century. Here I review biology ecology recruits process, largely as resolved through tiles, by: (i) defining how terms 'recruit' 'recruitment' used, explaining why loose terminology impeded advancement; (ii) describing measured tiles value this purpose; (iii) summarizing previous efforts quantitative analyses recruitment; (iv) advances from hypothesis-driven studies determining refuges, seawater flow, grazers modulate (v) reviewing small corals (i.e. recruits) understand better they respond environmental conditions; (vi) updating compilation extending 1974 present, thus revealing long-term global density recruits, juxtaposed with apparent resilience bleaching. Finally, future directions study recruitment, highlight need expand deliver taxonomic resolution, explain time series tile deployments are likely remain pivotal quantifying recruitment.

Language: Английский

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Increasing disturbance frequency undermines coral reef recovery

Ecological Monographs, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 94(3)

Published: June 24, 2024

Abstract Climate‐driven alterations to disturbance regimes are increasingly disrupting patterns of recovery in many biomes. Here, we examine the impact and subsequent level live hard coral cover on Great Barrier Reef (GBR) across last three decades. We demonstrate that a preexisting pattern infrequent disturbances limited spatial extent has changed larger more frequent disturbances, dominated by marine heatwaves severe tropical cyclones. detected an increase (measured as loss) 265 individual impacts 131 reefs 36‐year dataset (1985–2022). Additionally, number survey impacted increased each decade from 6% 1980s 44% 2010s, frequency mass bleaching GBR, which between 19% 28% per year, cyclones (3%–5% year), resulting less time for recovery. Of recorded, complete highest levels recorded earlier this study (the “historical benchmark”) occurred only 62 (23%) times. 23% resulted historical benchmarks, 34/62 recovered their benchmark 2021 or 2022. Complete was likely when <25% cover. The lack attributed windows becoming shorter due increases thermal stress events result episodes. These results confirm climate change is contributing ecosystem‐wide changes ability recover.

Language: Английский

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Coral-seeding devices with fish-exclusion features reduce mortality on the Great Barrier Reef

Scientific Reports, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 14(1)

Published: June 10, 2024

Language: Английский

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Predicting coral community recovery using multi‐species population dynamics models

Ecology Letters, Journal Year: 2018, Volume and Issue: 21(12), P. 1790 - 1799

Published: Sept. 11, 2018

Predicting whether, how, and to what degree communities recover from disturbance remain major challenges in ecology. To predict recovery of coral we applied field survey data early dynamics a multi-species integral projection model that captured key demographic processes driving population trajectories, notably density-dependent larval recruitment. After testing predictions against observations, updated the generate projections future communities. Our results indicated distributed across an island landscape followed different trajectories but would reassemble pre-disturbed levels abundance, composition, size, thus demonstrating persistence provision reef habitat other ecosystem services. study indicates community are predictable when accounting for interplay between species life-history, environmental conditions, density-dependence. We provide quantitative framework evaluating ecological underlying trajectory characteristics important functioning.

Language: Английский

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