• Scientists map living corals before and

    From ScienceDaily@1:317/3 to All on Monday, May 02, 2022 22:30:42
    Scientists map living corals before and after marine heat wave: Winners
    and losers discovered
    Findings could help manage and build a resilient network of coral reefs


    Date:
    May 2, 2022
    Source:
    Arizona State University
    Summary:
    Scientists reveal that different corals and environments influence
    the likelihood of their survival when ocean temperatures rise. The
    findings also demonstrate that advanced remote sensing technologies
    provide an opportunity to scale-up reef monitoring like never
    before.



    FULL STORY ==========================================================================
    As the world sees rising ocean temperatures, it will also see more cases
    of coral bleaching. When corals bleach, they become more vulnerable to
    other stressors such as water pollution. However, many reefs harbor
    corals that persist despite warming oceans. Unraveling the complex
    issue of coral bleaching and its impact on their survival or death may
    be key to conserving coral reefs -- ecosystems that more than half a
    billion people around the world rely on for food, jobs, recreation and coastline protection.


    ==========================================================================
    For the first time, scientists have mapped the location of living corals
    before and after a major marine heat wave. In the new study, research
    shows where corals are surviving despite rising ocean temperatures caused
    by climate change. The study also finds that coastal development and
    water pollution negatively affect coral reefs.

    In the study, published today in Proceedings of the National Academy
    of Sciences, Arizona State University scientists with the Julie Ann
    Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory reveal that different corals and
    environments influence the likelihood of their survival when ocean
    temperatures rise. The findings also demonstrate that advanced remote
    sensing technologies provide an opportunity to scale-up reef monitoring
    like never before.

    From its home in the Hawaiian Islands, ASU researchers with the Center
    for Global Discovery and Conservation Science took to the sky on
    the Global Airborne Observatory (GAO). The aircraft is equipped with
    advanced spectrometers that map ecosystems both on land and beneath the
    ocean surface.

    With these maps, the researchers can assess changes in coastal ecosystems
    over time.

    "Repeat coral mapping with the GAO revealed how Hawaii's coral reefs
    responded to the 2019 mass bleaching event," said Greg Asner, lead author
    of the study and director of the ASU Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science.

    "We discovered coral 'winners' and 'losers.' And these winning corals
    are associated with cleaner water and less coastal development despite
    elevated water temperatures." When the Hawaiian Islands faced a
    mass bleaching event in 2019, the GAO mapped live coral cover along
    eight islands before the marine heat wave arrived. With these data, the researchers identified more than 10 potential coral refugia - - habitats
    that may offer a safe haven for corals facing climate change. Among
    the potential refugia, there was up to 40% less coral mortality than on neighboring reefs, despite similar heat stress.

    The results also indicated that reefs near heavily developed coasts are
    more susceptible to mortality during heat waves. When development occurs
    on land, the amount of pollution entering the reef ecosystem increases, creating an unfavorable environment for coral reefs already fighting to
    survive the warming water.

    "This study supports Hawaii's Holomua Marine 30x30 Initiative by not
    only identifying areas impacted by ocean heat waves, but also areas
    of refugia," said Brian Neilson, study co-author and head of Hawaii's
    Division of Aquatic Resources, "These findings can be incorporated
    into management plans to aid in building a resilient network of reef
    regions and sustaining Hawaii's reefs and the communities that depend on
    them into the future." The Holomua 30x30 initiative aims to establish
    marine management areas across 30% of Hawaii's nearshore waters. Coral
    reefs in Hawaii are integral to life on the islands, tied to culture
    and livelihoods. Understanding which corals are surviving is key to
    achieving conservation that is targeted and effective.

    "Previous approaches have failed to deliver actionable interventions
    that might improve coral survival during heat waves or to locate places
    of heatwave resistance, known as coral refugia, for rapid protection,"
    said Asner, who is also director of the Global Airborne Observatory. "Our findings highlight the new role that coral mortality and survival
    monitoring can play for targeted conservation that protects more
    corals in our changing climate." The Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science at ASU collaborated on this study with the Hawaii
    Division of Aquatic Resources and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center. The Lenfest
    Ocean Program of Pew Charitable Trusts supported this study.


    ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Arizona_State_University. Original
    written by Makenna Flynn. Note: Content may be edited for style and
    length.


    ========================================================================== Journal Reference:
    1. Gregory P. Asner et al. Mapped coral mortality and refugia in an
    archipelago-scale marine heat wave. PNAS, 2022 DOI: 10.1073/
    pnas.2123331119 ==========================================================================

    Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/05/220502170854.htm

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