Cold water and harmful algal blooms linked to coral reef collapse in the Eastern Tropical Pacific

PeerJ

article

Caroline Palmer¹  Carlos Jimenez³  Giovanni Bassey⁵  Eleazar Ruiz⁶  Tatiana Villalobos Cubero⁷  Maria Marta Chavarria Diaz⁸  Xavier A. Harrison⁹  Robert Puschendorf¹ 

[1] School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, University of Plymouth;Seeking Survivors;Enalia Physis Environmental Research Centre;Energy, Environment and Water Research Center, The Cyprus Institute;Universidad de Costa Rica;Centro de Investigación en Ciencias del Mar y Limnología ,(CIMAR), Universidad de Costa Rica;Raising Coral Costa Rica;Programa de Investigación;Centre for Ecology & Conservation, University of Exeter

关键词: Marginal reef;    Costa Rica;    Immunity;    Climate change;    Restoration;    Upwelling;    Resilience-based management;   

DOI  :  10.7717/peerj.14081

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Inra

【 摘 要 】

Background With conventional coral reef conservation methods proving ineffective against intensifying climate change, efforts have focussed on augmenting coral tolerance to warmer water—the primary driver of coral declines. We document coral cover and composition in relation to sea surface temperature (SST) over 25-years, of six marginal reefs in an upwelling area of Costa Rica’s Eastern Tropical Pacific. Methods Using reef survey data and sea surface temperature (SST) dating back over 25-years, we document coral cover and composition of six marginal reefs in an upwelling area of Costa Rica’s Eastern Tropical Pacific in relation to thermal highs and lows. Results. A ubiquitous and catastrophic coral die-off event occurred in 2009, driven by SST minima and likely by the presence of extreme harmful algal blooms. Coral cover was dramatically reduced and coral composition shifted from dominant branching Pocillopora to massive Pavona, Porites, and Gardineroseris. The lack of coral recovery in the decade since indicates a breach in ecosystem tipping-point and highlights a need for resilience-based management (RBM) and restoration. We propose a locally tailored and globally scalable approach to coral reef declines that is founded in RBM and informed by coral health dynamics.

【 授权许可】

CC BY