SUMMARY:
A new study has found that the very corals responsible for establishing today's reefs are now some of the most threatened coral species due to climate change and other human-made stressors.
EXPLANATION:
Professor John Pandolfi from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (Coral CoE) at the University of Queensland (UQ) says the fast-growing, reef-building, branching Acropora, or 'staghorn', corals are responsible for the vast amount of modern reef growth. Although they have been around for at least 50 million years, these corals are now experiencing sharp declines in abundance worldwide. Coral reefs host more species than any other marine environment, are crucial for healthy fish populations, and, in providing coastal protection, they help dissipate up to 97% of incoming wave energy. However, in the past 20 years, coral cover has diminished by as much as 95 percent in some locations, such as the Caribbean. Coral health is compromised by climate change and local stress such as pollution and over-fishing. So, what would a future without staghorn corals look like? "One need only look as far as the algal-dominated reefs of the Caribbean to find a future in the absence of staghorn corals," Pandolfi says. "However, there is hope. Relieving local pressures on staghorn corals--for example, by improving water quality--helps increase their resistance to thermal stress from climate change. So by managing local anthropogenic stressors such as sediment runoff, dredging, and other sources of pollution, we can insure that these corals will be at their best when confronting global warming."
A new study has found that the very corals responsible for establishing today's reefs are now some of the most threatened coral species due to climate change and other human-made stressors.
EXPLANATION:
Professor John Pandolfi from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (Coral CoE) at the University of Queensland (UQ) says the fast-growing, reef-building, branching Acropora, or 'staghorn', corals are responsible for the vast amount of modern reef growth. Although they have been around for at least 50 million years, these corals are now experiencing sharp declines in abundance worldwide. Coral reefs host more species than any other marine environment, are crucial for healthy fish populations, and, in providing coastal protection, they help dissipate up to 97% of incoming wave energy. However, in the past 20 years, coral cover has diminished by as much as 95 percent in some locations, such as the Caribbean. Coral health is compromised by climate change and local stress such as pollution and over-fishing. So, what would a future without staghorn corals look like? "One need only look as far as the algal-dominated reefs of the Caribbean to find a future in the absence of staghorn corals," Pandolfi says. "However, there is hope. Relieving local pressures on staghorn corals--for example, by improving water quality--helps increase their resistance to thermal stress from climate change. So by managing local anthropogenic stressors such as sediment runoff, dredging, and other sources of pollution, we can insure that these corals will be at their best when confronting global warming."