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Global warming may have damaged coral reefs forever
May 16, 2006Global warming has had a more devastating effect on some of the world's finest coral reefs than previously assumed, suggests the first report to show the long-term impact of sea temperature rise on reef coral and fish communities.
Large sections of coral reefs and much of the marine life they support may be wiped out for good, say the international team of researchers, who surveyed 21 sites and over 50,000 square metres of coral reefs in the inner islands of the Seychelles in 1994 and 2005.
Their report is the first to show the long-term impact of the 1998 event where global warming caused Indian Ocean surface temperatures to increase to unprecedented and sustained levels, killing off (or 'bleaching') more than 90 per cent of the inner Seychelles coral.
The team, led by the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, and which comprises researchers from the UK, Australia and the Seychelles, publishes its findings today, Monday May 15, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The research showed that, while the 1998 event was devastating in the short term, the main long-term impacts are down to the damaged reefs being largely unable to reseed and recover. Many simply collapsed into rubble which became covered by unsightly algae.
The collapse of the reefs removed food and shelter from predators for a large and diverse amount of marine life-in 2005 average coral cover in the area surveyed was just 7.5 per cent.
The survey showed that four fish species (a type of butterfly fish, two types of wrasses and a type of damsel fish) are possibly already locally extinct, and six species are at critically low levels (a type of file fish, three types of butterfly fish and two damsel fish), although their decline probably started to happen soon after 1998.
The survey also revealed that species diversity of the fish community had decreased by 50 per cent in the heavily impacted sites. Reduced biodiversity results in a more fragile and less stable ecosystem.
Smaller fish have reduced in number more quickly than larger species but their decreased availability has started to have a more lasting effect on the food chain, and this effect is likely to be amplified as time goes on. Moreover, the observed decrease in herbivorous fish is a key concern as they control algal spread.
Researchers speculate that the reefs' inability to reseed is down to their relative isolation. A lack of nearby reefs to provide larvae which could settle and grow into new coral structures and the absence of favourable sea currents to transport the larvae could be largely to blame.
Yet while a bleak picture is painted in the inner islands of the Seychelles, the survey area, from a diving perspective the outer carbonate islands still offer healthy coral reefs. Early results from diver tourist surveys in the inner islands suggest that diver satisfaction is high with granite reefs, wrecks and whale sharks.
Lead researcher Nick Graham, of Newcastle University's School of Marine Science and Technology, said: "We have shown there has been very little recovery in the reef system of the inner Seychelles islands for seven years after the 1998 coral bleaching event.
"Reefs can sometimes recover after disturbances, but we have shown that after severe bleaching events, collapse in the physical structure of the reef results in profound impacts on other organisms in the ecosystem and greatly impedes the likelihood of recovery.
"Unfortunately it may be too late to save many of these reefs but this research shows the importance of countries tackling greenhouse gas emissions and trying to reduce global warming and its effect on some of the world's finest and most diverse wildlife."
University of Newcastle upon Tyne
The team, led by the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, and which comprises researchers from the UK, Australia and the Seychelles, publishes its findings today, Monday May 15, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The research showed that, while the 1998 event was devastating in the short term, the main long-term impacts are down to the damaged reefs being largely unable to reseed and recover. Many simply collapsed into rubble which became covered by unsightly algae.
The collapse of the reefs removed food and shelter from predators for a large and diverse amount of marine life-in 2005 average coral cover in the area surveyed was just 7.5 per cent.
The survey showed that four fish species (a type of butterfly fish, two types of wrasses and a type of damsel fish) are possibly already locally extinct, and six species are at critically low levels (a type of file fish, three types of butterfly fish and two damsel fish), although their decline probably started to happen soon after 1998.
The survey also revealed that species diversity of the fish community had decreased by 50 per cent in the heavily impacted sites. Reduced biodiversity results in a more fragile and less stable ecosystem.
Smaller fish have reduced in number more quickly than larger species but their decreased availability has started to have a more lasting effect on the food chain, and this effect is likely to be amplified as time goes on. Moreover, the observed decrease in herbivorous fish is a key concern as they control algal spread.
Researchers speculate that the reefs' inability to reseed is down to their relative isolation. A lack of nearby reefs to provide larvae which could settle and grow into new coral structures and the absence of favourable sea currents to transport the larvae could be largely to blame.
Yet while a bleak picture is painted in the inner islands of the Seychelles, the survey area, from a diving perspective the outer carbonate islands still offer healthy coral reefs. Early results from diver tourist surveys in the inner islands suggest that diver satisfaction is high with granite reefs, wrecks and whale sharks.
Lead researcher Nick Graham, of Newcastle University's School of Marine Science and Technology, said: "We have shown there has been very little recovery in the reef system of the inner Seychelles islands for seven years after the 1998 coral bleaching event.
"Reefs can sometimes recover after disturbances, but we have shown that after severe bleaching events, collapse in the physical structure of the reef results in profound impacts on other organisms in the ecosystem and greatly impedes the likelihood of recovery.
"Unfortunately it may be too late to save many of these reefs but this research shows the importance of countries tackling greenhouse gas emissions and trying to reduce global warming and its effect on some of the world's finest and most diverse wildlife."
University of Newcastle upon Tyne
Coral Reefs Current Events and Coral Reefs News RSSTEEB report released on the economics of ecosystems and biodiversity for policy makers
Policy makers who factor the planet's multi-trillion dollar ecosystem services into their national and international investment strategies are likely to see far higher rates of return and stronger economic growth in the 21st century.
Sponges recycle carbon to give life to coral reefs
Coral reefs support some of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet, yet they thrive in a marine desert. So how do reefs sustain their thriving populations?
Coral reefs inspire rare consensus -- just save them
One of the first set of studies to examine what tourists and recreation enthusiasts actually think about coral reef ecosystems suggests they are a rare exception to controversies over human use versus environmental conservation - their stunning beauty is so extraordinary that almost everyone wants them protected in perpetuity.
Calm before the spawn: Climate change and coral spawning
What's the point of setting up marine reserves to protect coral reefs from pollution, ship groundings and overfishing if climate change could cause far more damage? A study published this week in London in Proceedings of the Royal Society B provides the answer.
The white stuff: Marine lab team seeks to understand coral bleaching
With technology similar to that used by physicians to perform magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, researchers from six institutions-including the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)-working at the Hollings Marine Laboratory (HML) in Charleston, S.C., are studying the metabolic activity of a pathogen shown to cause coral bleaching, a serious threat to undersea reef ecosystems worldwide.
What are coral reef services worth? $130,000 to $1.2 million per hectare, per year: experts
Experts concluding the global DIVERSITAS biodiversity conference today in Cape Town described preliminary research revealing jaw-dropping dollar values of the "ecosystem services" of biomes like forests and coral reefs - including food, pollution treatment and climate regulation.
Coral bleaching increases chances of coral disease
Mass coral bleaching has devastated coral colonies around the world for almost three decades. Now scientists have found that bleaching can make corals more susceptible to disease and, in turn, coral disease can exacerbate the negative effects of bleaching.
Combining sun, sand and science in the Bahamas
It is well known that people from all over the world come to the Bahamas to enjoy the pristine waters, spectacular coral reefs and great fishing.
Man-made crises 'outrunning our ability to deal with them,' scientists warn
The world faces a compounding series of crises driven by human activity, which existing governments and institutions are increasingly powerless to cope with, a group of eminent environmental scientists and economists has warned.
Time to tap climate-change-combating potential of the world's ecosystems
Investing in restoration and maintenance of the Earth's multi-trillion dollar ecosystems - from forests and mangroves to wetlands and river basins - can have a key role in countering climate change and climate-proofing vulnerable economies.
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