Size‐dependent mortality of corals during marine heatwave erodes recovery capacity of a coral reef

Global Change Biology, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 28(4), P. 1342 - 1358

Published: Dec. 15, 2021

For many long-lived taxa, such as trees and corals, older, larger individuals often have the lowest mortality highest fecundity. However, climate change-driven disturbances droughts heatwaves may fundamentally alter typical size-dependent patterns of reproduction in these important foundation taxa. Working Moorea, French Polynesia, we investigated how a marine heatwave 2019, one most intense at our sites over past 30 years, drove coral bleaching mortality. The island-wide mass that killed up to 76% 65% largest two dominant genera, Pocillopora Acropora, respectively. Colonies Acropora ≥30 cm diameter were ~3.5× ~1.3×, respectively, more likely die than colonies <30-cm diameter. Typically, annual corals is concentrated on smallest size classes. Yet, this dramatically reshaped pattern, with heat stress disproportionately killing equalizing rates across spectrum. This shift size-mortality relationship reduced overall fecundity genera by >60% because big are for reefs. Additionally, survivorship microscopic recruits, critical recovery following disturbances, declined 2%, an order magnitude lower compared year without elevated thermal stress, where 33% recruits survived. While other research has shown can bleach frequently smaller show severe impact phenomenon reef-wide scale. As become frequent intense, disproportionate largest, fecund near-complete loss entire cohorts newly-settled will reduce capacity iconic ecosystems.

Language: Английский

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Oceanic differences in coral-bleaching responses to marine heatwaves

The Science of The Total Environment, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 871, P. 162113 - 162113

Published: Feb. 9, 2023

Anomalously high ocean temperatures have increased in frequency, intensity, and duration over the last several decades because of greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming marine heatwaves. Reef-building corals are sensitive to such temperature anomalies commonly lead coral bleaching, mortality, changes community structure. Yet, despite these overarching effects, there geographical differences thermal regimes, evolutionary histories, past disturbances may different bleaching responses within among oceans. Here we examined overall Atlantic, Indian, Pacific Oceans, using both a spatially explicit Bayesian mixed-effects model deep-learning neural-network model. We used 40-year dataset encompassing 23,288 coral-reef surveys at 11,058 sites 88 countries, from 1980 2020. Focusing on ocean-wide assessed relationships between percentage bleached temperature-related metrics alongside suite environmental variables. found while sea-surface were consistently, strongly, related all oceans, clear most For instance, was an increase with depth Atlantic Ocean whereas opposite observed Indian Ocean, no trend could be seen Ocean. The standard deviation thermal-stress negatively but not Globally, has progressively occurred higher four although, again, three Together, patterns highlight historical circumstances oceanographic conditions play central role contemporary coral-bleaching responses.

Language: Английский

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Meta-analysis reveals weak associations between reef fishes and corals

Nature Ecology & Evolution, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 8(4), P. 676 - 685

Published: Feb. 19, 2024

Language: Английский

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Local knowledge corroborates threats of local extinctions in Kenya’s exploited reef fishes

Marine Policy, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 177, P. 106650 - 106650

Published: March 7, 2025

Language: Английский

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Clarifying functional roles: algal removal by the surgeonfishes Ctenochaetus striatus and Acanthurus nigrofuscus

Coral Reefs, Journal Year: 2017, Volume and Issue: 36(3), P. 803 - 813

Published: March 22, 2017

Language: Английский

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