A Blue Starfish (Linckia laevigata) resting on hard Acropora and Porites corals (one can also see Anthiinae fish and crinoids). Lighthouse, Ribbon Reefs, Great Barrier Reef. Credit: Copyright (c) 2004 Richard Ling
Key Points:
- Scientists predict 99 percent of coral reefs will be lost by the end of this century without concerted efforts to protect them.
- A new study shows coral reefs can adapt if we first protect a sufficient diversity of them, especially when it comes to temperature.
- Following guidance offered in the study could allow coral reefs to thrive in another 100 years.
A new multi-institutional study has found that coral reefs can adapt to climate change with one caveat—first, humans must protect a sufficient diversity of coral reefs, particularly when it comes to temperatures.
“Evolution happens when corals that have already adapted to new environmental conditions breed with corals that have not yet adapted,” said co-author Malin Pinsky, associate professor at Rutgers. “As ocean temperatures rise, we need to keep corals in hotter waters healthy and protected so they can reproduce and spread their heat tolerance to other coral reef areas.”
Coral reefs cover less than one percent of the earth’s surface, but they are one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on our planet. Home to about 25 percent of all marine life, coral reefs support an estimated one billion people with food, income and coastal protection. But threats to coral reefs continue to mount. Today, nearly 75 percent of all coral reefs are threatened by climate change and localized human activities.
Scientists predict 99 percent of coral reefs will be lost by the end of this century without concerted efforts to protect them.
The study, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, advocates for a conservation approach that protects coral reefs at local, regional and global scales, in a way that allows heat tolerance to spread. The authors say if humanity takes rapid and effective action to keep coral reefs healthy at local scales and address climate change, coral reef ecosystems may recover over the next century and thrive in the future.
“The best part about these results is they underscore the importance of our actions at local scales—we don’t have to just sit back and watch coral reefs suffer as our climate changes,” said Madhavi Colton, lead author of the study and former executive director of the Coral Reef Alliance. “This study provides guidance on how to design local conservation solutions that will have real, lasting impacts well into the future.”
Information provided by Rutgers University.