The Coral Bleaching Automated Stress System (CBASS): A low‐cost, portable system for standardized empirical assessments of coral thermal limits

Limnology and Oceanography Methods, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 21(7), P. 421 - 434

Published: May 27, 2023

Abstract Ocean warming is increasingly affecting marine ecosystems across the globe. Reef‐building corals are particularly affected by warming, with mass bleaching events increasing in frequency and leading to widespread coral mortality. Yet, some can resist or recover from better than others. Such variability thermal resilience could be critical reef persistence; however, scientific community lacks standardized diagnostic approaches rapidly comparatively assess vulnerability prior events. We present Coral Bleaching Automated Stress System (CBASS) as a low‐cost, open‐source, field‐portable experimental system for rapid empirical assessment of thresholds using temperature stress profiles diagnostics. The CBASS consists four eight flow‐through aquaria independent water masses, lighting, individual automated controls capable delivering custom modulating profiles. used conduct daily exposures that typically include 3‐h ramps multiple target temperatures, hold period at 1‐h ramp back down ambient temperature, followed an overnight recovery period. This mimics shallow observed reefs prompts acute heat response serve tool identify putative thermotolerant in‐depth assessments adaptation mechanisms, targeted conservation, possible use restoration efforts. deployable within hours assay up 40 fragments/aquaria/day, enabling high‐throughput, determination genotypes, populations, species, sites framework.

Language: Английский

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Importance‐Performance Evaluation of Coral Reef Conservation in Advancing the Bioeconomy of Marine Tourism in Bali, Indonesia

Aquatic Conservation Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 35(3)

Published: March 1, 2025

ABSTRACT This research investigates the interplay between community engagement, psychological factors, and coral reef conservation in context of Bali's marine tourism bioeconomy. By examining drivers such as belief climate change, trust government initiatives, personal experiences with pollution, we show how these social factors shape responses participation conservation. Through use Importance‐Performance Analysis logistic regression models, identify critical that either promote or impede involvement protection efforts. Key indicators assessed included: implementation nurseries, protected areas, public education campaigns, responsible workshops, volunteer programs for cleaning, incentivized actions, local committees, stakeholder engagement sessions. The findings indicated effective management strategies must address not only ecological challenges but also socio‐economic realities. Integrating insights perspectives into efforts is shown to significantly bolster their effectiveness sustainability. study highlights need adaptive approaches are informed by both data feedback, aiming cultivate resilient ecosystems communities face global change.

Language: Английский

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Rebuilding Coral Reefs: How Tourism Can Be a Driver Behind Solutions in a Changing Ocean

Diversity, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 17(4), P. 268 - 268

Published: April 11, 2025

Coral reefs are threatened by multiple stressors that have driven a decline in the cover of reef-building coral species, resulting loss reef structure and function. Restoration science provides useful conservation tools to preserve restore key species ecological functions these ecosystems. However, gaps remain restoration at large scales. This study guide how invest apply innovative solutions immediate action strategies from tourism-hotel sector alliance with academia stakeholders, through development implementation multi-species program two sites Mexican Caribbean: Manchoncitos Reef, Riviera Maya La Francesita Cozumel. We identified effective propagation outplanting techniques for critically endangered as well genotypes resistant temperature stress Stony Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD), based on pre-restoration nursery trials. include comparative analysis over time (2020–2022) showing increased cover, structural complexity fish biomass. Baseline assessment areas will allow adaptation repopulation not only hard corals, but also advance comprehensive ecosystem, incorporating new elements reef, such fish, crab or sea urchin post larvae. These organisms could accelerate herbivory turn improve natural processes reefs. Our results understanding use tool climate change led private sector.

Language: Английский

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Regenerative Management of Coastal Tourism Destinations for the Anthropocene

Journal of Travel Research, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 63(3), P. 769 - 774

Published: May 7, 2023

The current geologic era—the Anthropocene—is defined by human-driven transformation of landscapes and seascapes that has profoundly altered Earth’s climate other life-support systems. This letter advocates for a landscape-scale regenerative tourism management strategy aimed at transforming coastal destinations into carbon sinks (meaning they sequester more than release). Specifically, can transform product offerings network restoration projects collectively seek the blue ecosystems such as marshes, mangroves, seagrass meadows. Restoration blue-carbon is cost-effective way to mitigate effects change. Tourism potential overcome obstacles in large-scale play foundational role providing long-term presence sites, logistical human resources, business model dependent on restored ecosystems.

Language: Английский

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Advancing Global Climate and Biodiversity Goals Through Regenerative Tourism

Sustainability, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 16(20), P. 9133 - 9133

Published: Oct. 21, 2024

Tourism has a particular responsibility to contribute climate and biodiversity goals because of its intense use long-range transport strong dependence on natural capital as an asset. is major contributor the global economy, but also greenhouse gas emissions. The severe impacts SARS-CoV-2 pandemic tourism sector triggered search for enhanced resilience, replacing past paradigm “boosterism”, dominant “sustainable tourism”. Sustainable no longer sufficient, shift towards new regenerative needed address environmental societal challenges faced by industry. Here, evidence pointing at rise reviewed, differential regenerative, relative sustainable tourism, are defined actions along five domains action identified that can help destinations embrace transition toward paradigm. Regenerative seeks enhance natural, cultural social while creating net positive benefits people planet. It emphasizes collaboration with local communities ambitious holistic approach sustainability, going beyond reducing negative ones. aligns industry, Paris Agreement, Convention Biological Diversity, advancing delivery Development Goals. requires investments in technology innovation, transparent collaboration, focus well-being both

Language: Английский

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Roadmap for improving coral reef restoration practices in Southeast Asia

Ecological Management & Restoration, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Oct. 24, 2024

Summary Coral reefs directly support the well‐being of millions people across Southeast Asia, however, these critical ecosystems are also under immense pressure, threatening their sustainability. reef restoration has emerged as a promising strategy to contribute safeguarding and securing socioeconomic benefits they provide local communities region. In this paper, we present outcomes week‐long deliberations between policymakers, research funders, practitioners scientists from Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam Australia, which identified four strategies for building improved capacity coral in Asia; (i) creation learning network, (ii) addressing needs, (iii) approaches communication engagement diverse audiences (iv) establishment sustainable funding mechanisms. These discussed detail with view providing roadmap help processes Asia.

Language: Английский

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Challenges for coral restoration in Southwestern Atlantic reefs: guidelines for ethical and sustainable practices

Biodiversity and Conservation, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: April 17, 2025

Language: Английский

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Overcoming barriers to reef restoration: field‐based method for approximate genotyping of Acropora cervicornis

Restoration Ecology, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 32(3)

Published: Dec. 11, 2023

Reef restoration efforts aim to enhance resilience by safeguarding the genetic diversity of coral populations. This could be facilitated genotyping methods that are relatively inexpensive, and field‐based. A potential method for assessing genotypic arises from self‐recognition phenomena. Past studies have shown contact between tissues same genet (isogeneic) will fuse whereas tissue different genets (allogeneic) result in rejection. However, accuracy this has been questioned. Here, we revisit grafting as a tool estimate Caribbean target, Acropora cervicornis . Ten ramets unknown relation were arranged 82 tests consisting 5‐fragment bundles replicated all possible combinations ramets. After 10 weeks, found outcomes acceptance rejection highly consistent (96.7% across replicates). The proposed existence 4 based on response was confirmed two SNP‐based methods. Both pairing (isogeneic or allogeneic pairs) distance significantly affected odds responses. Moreover, significant correlation degree fusion fragments their distance, supporting most related accepted more strongly compared those unrelated. field‐based can powerful nurseries, facilitating management within nursery genotype‐level tracking key traits like disease bleaching resistance.

Language: Английский

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A low-tech method for monitoring survival and growth of coral transplants at a boutique restoration site

PeerJ, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 11, P. e15062 - e15062

Published: May 24, 2023

Background Coral reef restoration projects are becoming a popular corporate environmental responsibility activity at hotel resorts. Such involvement of private businesses offers the potential to expand into new socioeconomic sector. However, scarcity user-friendly monitoring methods for staff, but robust enough detect changes over time, hinders ability quantify success or failure activity. Here, we present method easy application by without scientific training, using standard resources available resort. Methods Survival and growth coral transplants were evaluated 1 year boutique site. The was tailored needs resort in Seychelles, Indian Ocean. A total 2,015 nursery-grown corals branching (four genera, 15 species), massive (16 23 encrusting (seven seven species) types transplanted 1–3 m deep degraded patch reef. unique cement mix used transplant onto hard substrate. On north side each selected monitoring, attached an 8.2 cm × reflective tile. We tiles instead numbered tags due expected amount biofouling growing on tag surface. Every recorded with top view photography (perpendicular plane attachment), square field view. drafted map site facilitate navigation re-sighting monitored colonies. Then, developed simple protocol staff. Using map, tiles, divers located colonies, status (alive, dead, bleaching), took photograph. measured two-dimensional planar area change colony size time contour tissue measurements photographs. Results survival transplants, outperforming corals. higher (50%–100%) than (16.6%–83.3%). 10.1 2 ± 8.8 (SE). Branching survivors grew faster massive/encrusting comprehensive approach experiment would have included comparisons control similar species composition transplants. monitor such site, addition beyond logistic capabilities limited within conclude that science-based restoration, resort, combined method, can provide framework involving hotels as partners worldwide.

Language: Английский

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Early-stage outcomes and cost-effectiveness of implementing tourism-led coral propagation and outplanting in the Whitsundays (Great Barrier Reef)

Frontiers in Marine Science, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 11

Published: Oct. 4, 2024

Implementation of coral restoration practices within reef management strategies is accelerating globally to support resilience and recovery. However, full costs underpinning project feasibility have historically been underreported yet are critical informing cost-benefit decision-making. Such knowledge especially lacking for Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (GBR), where a program led by tourism operators, Coral Nurture Program (CNP), was initiated in 2018 (northern GBR) continues scale. Here we describe the early outcomes implementing similar tourism-led asexual propagation outplanting new region, Whitsundays (central through CNP. Specifically, detail local operational environmental context CNP Whitsundays, implementation continuation activities, as well evaluate survivorship outplants across three sites nine months after establishment (August 2022 June 2023). Baseline benthic surveys revealed relatively low hard cover at (ranging from 3.22-8.67%), which significantly differed composition collection 16.67-38.06%), supporting strong motivation operators undertake activities. Mean fate-tracked plots between 267 days 23.33-47.58%), with declines largely driven detachment. Early-stage cost-effectiveness (costs relative outplant survival) associated activity varied widely US$33.04-178.55 per surviving (n = 4,425 outplants) depending on whether ‘in-kind’ costs, (outplanting only vs. total encompassing planning monitoring), site-based survivorship, or combination these factors, were considered. As projects continue be established globally, our results highlight need ongoing, long-term monitoring that can inform adaptive practice, fully transparent cost-reporting understand improve any given project. We further inherent context-dependency importance considering social-environmental contexts their cost-benefits economic rationale projects.

Language: Английский

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