Coral Reef Stress Factors: scientists develop world map for better marine management

In March, I wrote of a coral reef stress test developed by scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society. The stress test was a model based on several environmental factors that impact the viability of a coral reef's ability to survive. Some of the key factors included in the test model were water temperature, biodiversity, and tidal movement. The idea behind the stress test was to help enable marine management organizations to better determine which reef areas had a higher rate of survivability to as best to manage human activities that might exacerbate the identified stress factors.



The Wildlife Conservation Society has continued working with their stress test model and in a recent issue of PLoS One, have presented a map of the world's coral reef regions with the stress test applied. The purpose of the map is to identify the types of stress placed upon coral reef regions so that, again, marine management organizations can compare human activities with the kinds of stress already taking place naturally and in so doing decide the most appropriate course of coral reef management to ensure its survival.



The map basically identifies two groups: those with high radiation stress (sea surface temperature, ultra-violet radiation, and minimal wind weather patterns) combined with few stress-reducing factors such as temperature variability and tidal movements - call this a high stress group - and a second group with less intense stress factors and a greater level of stress-reducing ones - call this the moderate group.



For marine management, these stress factors - while not necessarily fatal for any coral region when the reef is left in a pristine, undisturbed natural state - are not something that can be controlled, except on a global level that deals with the larger issue of climate change. However, when you add in man-made impacts like overfishing, pollution, and coastal development, then what the region is able to withstand can be exceeded, and this is where marine management and marine protected areas can then have the greatest impact.





In the high stress group, the researchers included coral reef regions in Southeast Asia, Micronesia, Eastern Pacific, Central Indian Ocean, Middle East, and Western Australia. The second, more moderate stress group included the Caribbean, Great Barrier Reef, Central Pacific, Polynesia, and the Western Indian Ocean.



“When radiation stress and high fishing are combined, the reefs have little chance of surviving climate change disturbances because they both work against the survival of corals that are the foundation of the coral reef ecosystem,” said Dr. Tim McClanahan, Wildlife Conservation Society Senior Conservationist and head of the society’s coral reef research and conservation program.

“The study provides marine park and ecosystem managers with a plan for spatially managing the effectiveness of conservation and sustainability,” said Dr. Caleb McClennen, Director of the society’s Marine Program. “The information will help formulate more effective strategies to protect corals from climate change and lead to improved management of reef systems globally.”

Coral reefs are critically important but very fragile marine ecosystems and have already been seriously affected by man-made activities. The more tools we have at our disposal to ascertain the survivability of a particular region the better management decisions that can be made before it is too late.



Map courtesy of the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Damaged Reefs or Sunburn?: corals threatened by sunscreen use

Many people, even those with only a passing interest in ocean conservation, know that many of the world's coral reefs are being threatened by a variety of environmental impacts. Ocean acidification, pollutants, runoff from urban development, and increasing water temperatures are having their effect, usually in the form of coral bleaching. Corals are supported in a symbiotic fashion by zooxanthellae, algae embedded in the very tissues of the coral. When environmental conditions are not right, the algae dies off and the weakened coral loses its color and starts a slow decline that can often lead to death.

With each summer, as tourism swells and swimmers, snorkelers, and divers entire the water, another threat takes aim at these beautiful but fragile marine ecosystems. And it is an unusual and seemingly unlikely danger. Sunscreen.

That's right. The very stuff that keeps you from looking like a lobster right out of the pot, is also a proven danger to coral. The effects of sunscreen on coral has been the subject of several studies over the past several years. One of the most revealing was conducted in 2008 and published in Environmental Health Perspectives. Researchers from Italy's Polytechnic University of Marche Region, studied the effect of several sunscreen compounds on corals in a controlled laboratory setting and found that four common ingredients caused dormant viruses in the zooxanthellae to awaken and replicate, killing the zooxanthellae and spilling into the surrounding water to do more damage to other corals.

The four ingredients - paraben, cinnamate, benzophenone, and camphor derivatives - are found in many leading brands of sunscreen. The research showed that even very small amounts of these compounds can induce coral bleaching in as little as four hours.

But really, how much of a threat can this be? The World Trade Organization (WTO) has some numbers to illustrate the problem's potential. Ten percent of all tourism takes place in tropical areas, amounting to approximately 80 million people visiting coral reefs annually. With that, the WTO estimates that as much as 6,000 tons of sunscreen lotions are released in reef areas each year, putting as much as 10% of the reefs at risk of death by sunscreen.

You can check your sunscreen label for the chemical culprits or look for sunscreens that are labeled as "coral or reef-safe." No one is suggesting that you fry in the sun and spend your later years in the dermatologist's office, dealing with skin damage. But by reading labels and purchasing sunscreen known to be safe for corals, you'll be taking a personal proactive step to protect coral reefs - while we focus worldwide efforts on the other challenges to the ocean's colorful undersea gardens.

Read a summary of the study in Environmental Health Perspectives.
Read more about coral death by sunscreen in National Geographic News.

Coral Reef Stress Test: researchers develop model to determine survivability

With corals reefs being assaulted, it would seem, from all directions with global warming, pollution, and damage from urban development or tourism pressure all taking its toll; would it not be a valuable tool to have the means to gauge a reef's susceptibility to various environmental pressures, to be able to determine whether one reef has a better chance of survival over another?

Researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society believe they have developed just such a tool - a "stress test" for coral reefs.

Reviewing the history and the current conditions (coral health, biodiversity) of reefs throughout the western Indian Ocean, the researchers were able to construct a test model with which they could determine which reefs would have a higher possibility of survival based on today's environmental pressures. By identifying specific reefs, the researchers would hope that greater coral reef management could be put in place to protect those particular reefs.

Through their work, which was recently published online in Global Change Biology, the researchers identified coastal regions stretching from southern Kenya to northern Mozambique, northeastern Madagascar, the Mascarene Islands, and the coastal border of Mozambique and South Africa as having the most promising characteristics of high diversity and low environmental stress.

"Reducing human impacts to minimize the multiple stressors on these globally important reefs will give corals a fighting chance in the age of global climate change. These results reveal a window of opportunity for the future conservation of the ocean's most biodiverse ecosystem," said Caleb McClennen, director of the Wildlife Conservation Society's Marine Program.

The unfortunate reality to all of this is that, while it would seem to be advantagous to be able to clearly identify regions that deserve protection based on those that would appear to have a more promising future, the flipside would imply that some regions would be sacrificed, basically written off because limited management resources would only be able to focus on those coral reefs with the best chance of survival in today's conditions.

It is a sad reality that we face; like a mother with two children but only enough food for one. How does she choose who shall survive and who shall perish? Have we cornered ourselves into a similar predicament with our coral reefs?

Read more about the coral reef "stress test" in EurekAlert.

Australia's Queensland Floods: aftermath poses grave risks to coral reefs

Nature has an uncanny way of healing itself from its own natural disasters, like forest fires, hurricanes and wind storm damage, and even volcanoes. The damage can be devastating but, given sufficient time, nature recovers. Time is the key factor. Time to rejuvenate and time for it to prepare for the next calamity, many of which being cyclical.

But when events happen one right after another or are working in concert to weaken the ecosystem's ability to withstand a particularly powerful disaster, or if we add man-made factors into the mix, then nature can find itself in dire peril.

Such is the case following the heavy rains and flooding that have recently taken place in and around Queensland, Australia. The flood waters don't simply evaporate but, instead, continue to move towards open sea. Swollen rivers feed into the ocean and they bring along three elements that are dangerous to the coral reef systems, offshore and to the north, that make up Australia's famed Great Barrier Reef: fresh water, sediment, and fertilizers/herbicides.

When great quantities of fresh water are introduced into a coral reef, the corals suffer tremendously as they are strictly salt water creatures. As the fresh water moves further offshore, it blends with the salt water and so the negative effects of too much fresh water are primarily limited to reefs and islands relatively close to shore.

Sediment that fans out at the mouth of rivers can also block sunlight and cover the corals. These fine particles essentially choke the corals, preventing them from feeding effectively and, with the loss of sunlight, starving the symbiotic algae that grows within the coral's tissues. Through photosynthesis, the algae converts sunlight into organic energy for the coral's benefit. But, with floating sediment, that life-giving process is disrupted.

Perhaps the corals could withstand those abuses, but then we must add man's contribution: fertilizers and herbicides. Washed down from farmlands, these chemicals stimulate plant growth, in particular seaweed and algae. Both compete for space with the coral and typically the coral loses. Nature has a way of balancing the relationship between plants and corals so that both can coexist, but with the introduction of fertilizers and other plant stimulants, that balance is thrown off kilter. Corals are rather slow growing, whereas sea plants, particularly when chemically stimulated, are very fast growing. It becomes an aquatic land grab and the seaweeds and algae soon take over.

However, even with the added impact of man-made fertilizers, coral reef ecosystems could deal with these three factors were it not for the fact that they are continually being bombarded and weakened by other hazards. Climate and temperature change, acidification, pollution and disease - one hit after another can have a cumulative effect that can leave the coral reefs exposed and overwhelmed by the negative effects of a natural disaster like the one that occurred in Australia.

The Queensland flooding has been a recent event and researchers are only now beginning to see and monitor the residual effects of the floods working their way out to sea. Coral damage from flooding has happened before and the reefs were able to heal themselves within a decade. But life in the Great Barrier Reef is different now, more precarious and fragile.

"The problem is that all forms of disturbances, loads of sediments/nutrients/pesticides, as well as bleaching events from warming seawaters, more intense cyclones and more frequent outbreaks of coral predators such as the crown-of-thorns starfish, all increase in frequency and intensity," says Dr. Katharine Fabricius of the Australian Institute for Marine Science. "This gives the reefs often not enough time to recover before they get hit again."

Read about the effects of Australia's floods on BBC News.

Coral's Fight or Flight: Coral Sea reserve proposed, but some corals can migrate to the poles

The Coral Sea, while known to some as a World War II battle zone or the name of a super aircraft carrier, it is in reality a body of water off the northeastern coast of Australia, southeast of Papua New Guinea, that has remained relatively unscathed from industrial fishing and other human impacts due to its remoteness and sometimes rough seas.

To preserve its good health, efforts are underway to make it a protected marine reserve. The Australian-based Cairns and Far North Environment Centre (CAFNEC) is pushing for having the Coral Sea designated as a marine park that would provide for marine tourism, recreation, and scientific research, while limiting or prohibiting commercial fishing to protect the billfish, sharks , and tuna that either pass through or call the Coral Sea home.

While the idea of a Coral Sea marine reserve has been endorsed by many scientists (as many as 250 from 35 countries have gone on record in support of the reserve), there has been opposition from local recreational fishermen who see it as a step-by-step strategy leading to expansion along the entire east coast of Australia. However, proponents recognize the needs of the locals and say that expansion is not on their agenda. But protecting one of the few unspoiled tropical areas in the ocean is.

Corals head toward the poles
Protecting areas like the Coral Sea would be a good short-term strategy measure. In the long term, we need to consider what might be happening to coral reefs as ocean temperatures continue to rise. Coral thrives within a relatively narrow temperature range and as the waters become warmer, which has been documented as ongoing for several decades, coral reefs experience "bleaching" events where the symbiotic algae that lives within the soft tissues of the coral, providing much of their color, vanishes. This weakens the coral and often proves fatal.

But a new study, about to be published in Geophysical Research Letters, claims that many coral species are migrating towards the poles, to more suitable water temperatures. And the rate that these corals appear to be traveling is quite remarkable: up to 14 km (8.7 mi) annually. With average speeds of 1 km for terrestrial plants and animals and 5km for bottom dwelling sea creatures, these corals would appear to be sprinting. The study combined data with that of others who have tracked coral migrations for years and the researchers noted that of nine coral species studied, four species (all of which considered "near threatened" or "vulnerable" by the IUCN) had moved, most likely with floating larval polyps being aided by currents headed towards the poles, as found along the east coasts of the United States, South America, Africa, and Australia.

Does this mean that corals will simply out run climate change? Not necessarily. The components of climate change and the impacts on coral reefs are complex, from temperature increases to acidification to epidemics which could lead to shifts in the types of corals that stay and flourish, or migrate, or die. One way or another, the tropical reef zones will be disrupted.

In discussing coral's ability to persevere and survive in changing conditions by migrating to more hospitable environments, Paul Sammarco of the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium was quoted in NatureNews, "For corals it is good news, but for ecosystems, maybe not."

Read about the Coral Sea in Cairns.com.au.
Read about coral on the move in NatureNews.com.

Mesophotic Coral Reefs: a new find in Puerto Rico brings calls for protection

For many people, the images they have seen of corals and coral reefs are of two extremes. At one end of the spectrum are the more commonly seen "shallow reefs" - colorful explosions of various shapes and sizes, mostly fueled by the combination of specialized algae (zooanthellae) that reside within the coral itself, and photosynthesis, the process by which plants use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into organic compounds. Stereotypical iconic images of tropical reefs - from Hawaii to the South Pacific to the Caribbean to Australia's Great Barrier Reef - are compliments of the ocean's shallow coral reef ecosystems.

At the other end are the deep water corals, where light is scarce and so a different type of ecosystem flourishes. Without the supporting zooanthellae algae, deep water corals often consist of large stony corals and will aggregate in thickets or groves, forming very different reef structures compared to their shallow water cousins. Much of what we know about deep water corals, we have learned from manned deep submersibles or unmanned ROVs.

However, as we find in so many other aspects of life, nature has its middle ground. In this case, mesophotic coral reefs. These are coral ecosystems that basically exist between 30-40m (100-130 feet) down to around 150m (490 feet), which puts you at the edge of darkness. Existing beyond the range of typical scuba diving limits, mesophotic coral ecosystems have largely existed underneath the scientific radar. There's much we still need to learn about these coral reefs and the biodiversity that they support.

So when new mesophotic coral reefs are discovered, it's newsworthy indeed. Last week, NOAA announced the discovery of a large mesophotic coral reef off the southwestern coast of Puerto Rico. Found by Dr. Richard Appledoorn and his staff from the University of Puerto Rico, the reef is basically a 12-mile span, supporting a variety of plate-type corals, like lettuce and star corals, and various sponges along with groupers, snappers and reef sharks.

NOAA, along with Appledoorn, are vowing to protect this new find and managers with Puerto Rico's Coastal Zone Management are giving it serious consideration.

"We recognize the need to extend protections to mesophotic coral ecosystems in Puerto Rico, and the information being provided by this research is key to making that happen," said Ernesto Diaz, director of Puerto Rico's Coastal Zone Management Program.

The newly found reef could also benefit from fortuitous timing. Representatives from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are meeting to consider a joint program of coastal management and conservation. Under discussion is a coastal zoning map that would consider the best and most ecologically sustainable uses of the coast for recreational and commercial activities - from tourism, aquafarming, to ocean energy development. Coral reef protection, of all types, would be a key component of the program.

While shallow coral reefs might provide the laymen with the most colorful images to use for making the case for coral conservation, scientists realize that, from the surface to the deepest depths, each of the various strata that make up the entire coral reef ecosystem play an important role in maintaining a healthy and vibrant marine biodiversity. All must be protected, whether we see them or not.

Read about Puerto Rico's mesophotic coral reefs in redOrbit.
Read about mesophotic coral reef systems at www.mesophotic.org.
Photo credit: H. Ruiz/NOAA

The Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef: colorful yarn and complex math to save coral reefs at the Smithsonian

To get people to appreciate the importance of ocean conservation to the future of this planet, we must highlight the importance of the oceans to our own future as well. Making this human connection can take many forms, from intellectual presentations to a more tactile approach . . . like crochet.

Crochet?

On October 16th, at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC, an exhibition opens that connects the very human art of crocheting with the complexity of shape and design of coral reefs. The Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef, a project started by the Los Angeles-based Institute for Figuring, will be on view in the Institution's Sant Ocean Hall through April 24th of 2011. By utilizing crocheting to produce amazingly realistic representations of various corals, the exhibit helps to make very real what some may perceive as beautiful but unreal and other-worldly.

At the core of the exhibit is the use of hyberbolic geometry - a mathematical theory of lines, curves and their relationships that manifests itself in natural forms like corals and can be effectively represented in crochet. It's a good thing too, because just reading about hyperbolic geometry can give you a headache, or at least leave you slightly dazed and confused.

Originally conceived by Margaret and Christine Wertheim, and supported by Quiksilver Foundation, the Embassy of Australia, and the Coral Reef Alliance; the exhibition is remarkable in its detail and realism. And like the organisms it replicates, it is dynamic and growing, as the Smithsonian provides other crochet artists with the opportunity to contribute to the reef.



The Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef- it's organic, it's colorful, and it's mathematically complex. Just like real coral. It's cared for by humans, just like the real coral reefs need to be. Because If not, it's sad to think but colorful yarn may be all that's left to remind us of one of the ocean's greatest treasures.
Learn more at the Smithsonian website.
Read about hyperbolic geometry.

Coral Reef News: a new algae threat; island nations take steps

Coral reefs continue to face challenges and occasional glimmers of hope. But they lead a perilous existence, with these important tropical marine ecosystems living on the edge of collapse. As remnants of geological island movements, coral reefs form important barriers to island erosion and other weather- and ocean-related conditions (storms, currents, etc.) while also providing a home for countless numbers of marine species.

Bad News: Toxic Algae Acts Quickly
On the down side, researchers are discovering that algae can not only crowd out corals when their growth explodes due to nitrate-rich pollution (as previously studied worldwide), but algae blooms can also prove to be toxic by reducing oxygen and sunlight. And it can happen with remarkable speed.

Recently, in the Gulf of Oman, scientists were conducting a coral reef study and upon returning to their research area three weeks after an algae bloom, they found the corals seriously impacted. Several species of hard corals, including cauliflower and tabletop hard corals, were completely destroyed.

"We were surprised at the extent and speed at which changes to the coral reef communities were affected," said marine ecologist Andrew Bauman in the BBC News. Scientists have known that climate change in the form of warmer waters can adversely affect the coral, causing "coral bleaching" whereby the coral is severely and often fatally weakened from the loss of the symbiotic zooxanthellae algae that literally lives in the coral tissue.

While warmer temperatures can stress the corals to the extant that coral bleaching occurs, the scientists in the Gulf of Oman now have dramatic evidence of the impact of algae blooms in open water, literally choking the life from the coral - not to mention the impact on other sealife including fish, whose gills can be become clogged with algae particulates.

Good News: Island Nations Work Together
On the more positive side, tropical island nations are becoming more proactive in their efforts to protect their national treasures - the coral reefs. In 2007, the governments of Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands formed the Coral Triangle Initiative to establish policies to protect their marine reef ecosystems. Realizing the importance of the reef ecosystem not only as a component of a healthy ocean but also of economic importance as a source of food and tourism for developing nations, the Coral Triangle Initiative is a government-led program supported by leading conservation organizations like Conservation International.

In the Indian Ocean, the Maldives - a nation of over 1,100 coral islands - recognizes the economic power of conserving its surrounding coral reefs. The reefs are the lure to worldwide scuba divers, snorkelers, and swimmers, making tourism a major component of the nation's economy. In addition, the need to protect its ecology - in fact, that of the world - is of critical importance to the Maldives. The islands are, at most, just under five feet above sea level. With sea levels rising due to global warming, scientists estimate that the Maldives will be uninhabitable by 2100.

The government has taken steps to both protect its citizens and the environment by instituting a variety of eco-friendly policies including installation of wind turbines, rooftop solar arrays, and phasing out fossil fuel-burning boats and cars. In July, 2010, they also outlawed shark fishing and the sale or export of shark fins. But the government is also reluctantly prudent and developing plans for the relocation of its entire population of 400,000 as sea levels rise.

Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed warned, “Climate change is a global emergency. The world is in danger of going into cardiac arrest, yet we behave as if we've caught a common cold. Today, the Maldives has announced plans to become the world's most eco-friendly country. I can only hope other nations follow suit.”

Read about toxic algae in the BBC Earth News.
Read about the Coral Triangle Initiative at Conservation International.
Read about the Maldives at Mother Nature Network.

Earth Lashes Out At the Sea: terrestrial fungi can strike ocean reefs

Here's an interesting post from the Southern Fried Science blog - a blog consisting of a trio of dedicated grad students from the U.S. Carolinas. Described in this post is a type of fungus that raised havoc in the coral reefs of the Florida Keys in the late 90's. Acting like a brush fire that thins out a forest, this fungus spawned diseases that cleared out mature coral sea fans, allowing young coral with greater disease resistance to take hold.

This would seem like a natural cyclical disaster that nature could handle - much like the forest fires started by lightning. But this was a terrestrial fungus brought in by wind-borne dust from faraway continents and could also be brought in by ships or more frequent storms due to man-made climate change. So, while nature has an incredible ability to, in time, balance out the the impacts of natural disasters; mankind can accelerate those factors beyond what nature's ecosystems can handle.

Alien Invaders: coral pathogens

By Southern Fried Scientist, on July 20th, 2010

It was a story that could very easily have been written as science fiction. Gorgonian (sea fan) corals of the Florida coast were turning black and dying. The infectious culprit was something no one working on the reefs had encountered before. It was totally alien. The black rot spread across the Caribbean, decimating coral populations. By the time the contagion had been deduced, more than 50% of total sea fan tissue had been eradicated in the Florida Keys. It was one of the worst coral epidemics in recent history.

The culprit was indeed an alien, though certainly not extra-terrestrial. In fact, it was very terrestrial. Aspergillus sydowii, a globally distributed saprophytic soil fungus was the nightmare creature. Aspergillus causes a variety of diseases in humans and birds, but had not previously been recognized as a marine pathogen.

The coral epidemic lasted six years, beginning in 1997. Not surprisingly, it targeted larger, mature corals, severely reducing their biomass and impairing reproduction. Because of this predilection, the total population of gorgonia remained stable, thanks to the influx of juvenile corals from other sources. Eventually, the disease epidemic subsided, due largely to increased host resistance, but also due to the decline in large corals.

How Aspergillus was introduced into the ocean is no surprise. Fungi are prolific in their spore production and dispersal. For every cubic meter of air, there are more than 10,000 fungal spores. That’s a lot of opportunity to take hold. But there is a concept called the mycostatic effect in marine mycology. Simply put, most fungal spores do not germinate in the sea. The osmotic pressure of saltwater prevents most fungal spores from functioning. So, though prolific in numbers in the sea, fungi are not often seen as having a large ecologic contribution.

At least, that’s the conventional wisdom.

Recently other reports of fungal infection in the ocean have appeared. In the Fiji Basin anther black yeast, those this one uncharacterized, has infected mussels at a deep sea hydrothermal vent. These mussels grow black and eventually die. More then 60% of the mussels at one site were infected. How the disease spreads, and how it was transmitted to the deep sea remains a mystery.

Fungi were one of the first to colonize land, and I have a bit of a history of that event here. Only the most basal fungal forms are known to thrive in aqueous environments. So how do these more derived forms return to the sea?

The final chapter (or first chapter? I’m still getting a handle on this whole narative thing) is one that is a common thread in modern ecology. Fungal spores identical to those of the infectious Aspergillus were isolated in the Virgin Islands from layers laid down by dust storm events. These dust storm events originated on the African Coast and carried spores across the Atlantic to settle in the Caribbean. An organism of little notice (though very significant ecology) becomes a pathogen when introduced into a new environment.

We live in a global ecosystem. What happens to one place, no matter how seemingly remote, happens to us all.

~Southern Fried Scientist

From Southern Fried Science.com.

Coral Reefs vs. Poisonous Seaweed: overfishing gives dangerous seaweed an edge

Regarding coral reefs, it has been said that when water conditions are less than optimal and algae is allowed to run rampant - often the result of runoff and pollutants high in nitrogen - then corals can be pushed out or overtaken. A recent study, reported by SeaWeb, cites the danger to coral reefs from species of seaweed that are capable of poisoning the coral. The seaweed is normally kept in check by feeding fish, but when overfishing reduces the population of these important herbivores, then the corals are at risk.

Overfishing Allows Seaweed to Flourish, Killing Corals

Overfishing of herbivorous fish is allowing seaweed species (such as this green seaweed Chlorodesmis fastigiati, center) to thrive, killing corals with which they come into contact. Mark Hay

Researchers have found that several species of common seaweed contain chemicals that kill corals. In the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Douglas Rasher and Mark Hay of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta report that five of seven seaweed species caused bleaching, declines in photosynthesis and death of coral tissues when they came into direct contact with Porites [stony] corals off the Caribbean coast of Panama. Three of eight seaweed species had similar effects on Porites corals off Fiji.

The researchers noted that only the areas of the coral that came into direct contact with the seaweed were affected. Attempts to replicate the effect with plastic seaweed models did not produce the same results. However, when extracts from seaweed tissue were embedded in gel strips and placed on the corals, the results almost precisely replicated those from the seaweeds themselves, suggesting strongly that chemicals within the seaweeds were responsible for the damage.

The researchers note that when seaweeds were placed on corals in a marine protected area off Fiji, herbivorous fish that were prevalent within the area rapidly consumed them. However, when placed on an adjacent reef where fishing took place only 1,000 feet (more than 300 meters) away, the seaweeds were consumed far more slowly, if at all. They write that their study shows that in healthy reef systems, coral are protected from the impacts of seaweeds, and that even relatively small amount of fishing of species that graze on those seaweeds could have potentially disastrous effects on coral reefs.

Source: Rasher, D.B., and M.E. Hay. 2010. Chemically rich seaweeds poison corals when not controlled by herbivores. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Contact: Mark Hay, Georgia Institute of Technology. E-mail: mark.hay@biology.gatech.edu

Coral Reef Studies: stress the importance of holistic reef management

Was perusing through two articles on coral reefs that addressed the same basic issue - coral health - and had an interesting connection.

First, for those of you who are not familiar with the coral-zooxanthella relationship, within the tissues of coral are forms of algae, zooxanthellae, that provide much of the coral's color. This algae exists in a symbiotic relationship with the coral: basically, the coral generates wastes and nitrogen which the algae feed on and, in return, the algae produces nutrient sugars that the corals require.

Healthy coral exists only within very specific parameters and when environmental conditions are not ideal, as with an increase in water temperature, the algae disappears and the overall health of the coral is weakened, a condition called "coral bleaching" which can often prove fatal for the coral. Coral bleaching can be a naturally occurring event, like lightning-induced forest fires, which nature can withstand or handle. But climate change has been cited as a leading cause of an alarming increase in coral bleaching events worldwide.

A study published in Ecological Applications (Vol. 19[6]), detailed how better coral reef management which would produce clearer and cleaner water can help improve the coral's ability to withstand the effects of temperature change, thereby better resisting coral bleaching events. The article, Improved water quality can ameliorate effects of climate change on corals, cited coral's inability to genetically adapt or to alter the coral-zooxanthella relationship to better resist changes in temperature. The study reviewed data from coral bleaching events occurring in Australia's Great Barrier Reef during 1998 and 2002, examining relationships between heat stress and nutrient flux (what's in the water). Areas of poorer water quality played a significant role in the severity of the coral bleaching event.

So, what kind of factors can impact the water quality surrounding coral reefs and how can coral reef management be of help?

Another study, published in Environmental Pollution (Vol. 157[8-9]), also examined the Great Barrier Reef - this time focusing on pollution, specifically herbicides which, along with insecticides and fungicides, make their way into the coral reef ecosystem as runoff from agricultural areas through rivers and creeks. According to the article, Herbicides: A new threat to the Great Barrier Reef, even at low trace levels, these pollutants can impact the overall health of the corals, thereby reducing their ability to withstand any other adverse changes to the environment, such as temperature change, and making them more susceptible to coral bleaching.

Proper coral management must be a far-reaching holistic approach encompassing activities, such as agricultural development in developing countries, that can contribute to a compromised marine ecosystem already beset with worldwide issues like climate change. Healthy coral reefs provide home and food for a variety of sealife, a natural barrier to protect island communities from weather-inspired wave action and, at the very least, serve as a barometer for the overall health of the oceans.

To learn more about coral reef conservation:

• The Nature Conservancy's coral reef program
• Oceana PSA on coral reefs and bottom-trawling
• Reef Check's coral monitoring program
• Coral Reef Alliance's web site
• NOAA's coral reef conservation program
  

Coral Under Review: U.S. to determine status of 82 species

Some good news for coral reefs within U.S. territorial waters: the National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS) will spend the next year conducting an evaluation on the status of 82 different coral species in light of data presented by the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD). The review will determine the current health of the various corals in Florida, Hawaii, and other island territories. By doing so, the NMFS can ascertain whether any coral species warrant threatened or endangered status under the Endangered Species Act, similar to elkhorn and staghorn coral which are currently listed as threatened.

Corals are the building blocks of tropical reefs but exist within a narrow band of environmental factors. Changes in water temperature, ocean acidification, pollution from commercial development - any one of these can lead to a degradation of the reef, often through a process called "coral bleaching." Unhealthy or dead reefs can be torn down by wave action, and this can have a serious effect on coastline or island erosion - not to mention the disruption to tropical reef ecosystems when corals that provide shelter and food for a variety of aquatic species disappears.

"The status review is an important step forward in protecting coral reefs, which scientists have warned may be the first worldwide ecosystem to collapse due to global warming," said Miyoko Sakashita, lawyer for CBD.

Read Washington Post article.

ACT TODAY: last day for U.S. comments on CITES tuna & shark protections

A last minute reminder from Oceana: today is the last day for U.S. citizens to submit comments to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding the upcoming CITES convention. At the 2010 meeting, scheduled for March, several ocean species will be considered for protection under CITES' Appendix I, II, or III listings.

Under consideration are:

• Bluefin Tuna - heavily over-fished in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean.
• 8 Sharks - spiny dogfish, porbeagle, oceanic whitetip, dusky, sandbar, and the scalloped, smooth, and great hammerhead sharks.
• Red & Pink Corals - harvested for jewelry.

CITES has taken significant steps in the past to curb the trade in endangered species like rhino horns and elephant tusks. Here is an opportunity to make significant progress with several important aquatic species.

Again, this is the last day for U.S. public comments to reach Dr. Rosemarie Gnam, the U.S. representative for the CITES meeting. If you're a U.S. citizen, let your voice be heard!

Click here to send a message via Oceana (if the link does not work properly, go to the Oceana web site and sign up for their Wavemaker e-activist program).

Coral Reef Ecosystem: complex with multiple variables at risk

Coral reefs are one of the ocean's most colorful and complex creations. I'm sure you have read about how they are in peril. Climate change, acidification, human development - all are having an impact, most often represented by coral bleaching which is the result of the loss of the symbiotic algae that lives within the coral.

I was reviewing several scientific papers and found that there are many studies going on to determine more specifically what is happening to the reefs. As it turns out, the external factors of temperature, pollutants, and others can trigger a variety of eco-systemic or internal components that adversely affect the coral. Oh, if it were only simple, then the solutions might be simpler too.

One study examined the impact on several species of reef fish and their aerobic scope, or ability to breath, in elevated temperatures. Ever felt your breathing was a bit more labored on a really hot day? Well, according to this study, reef fish can have a similar reaction when water temperatures rise. This causes a reduced capacity to absorb oxygen which weakens the health of the fish, its level of immunity, and overall lifespan.

Water quality was found, in another study, to impact the sensitivity of corals to coral bleaching. "Terrestrially-sourced dissolved inorganic nitrogen" or DIN was found to make coral more sensitive to the temperature threshold that triggers coral bleaching. Higher levels of DIN are often found in areas of human development in the form of runoff from urban development or construction.

The levels of nutrients within a coral reef system can also effect the balance between hard corals, anemones, and algae. All three live in relative harmony, with hard corals as the dominant species. But in the typically low-nutrient world of a healthy coral ecosystem, warmer temperatures can increase nutrient levels and, at various levels, the anemones become more aggressive towards the coral and at the highest levels, the algae becomes dominant.

Coral reef ecosystems are tremendously complicated and we are continually learning more about the inter-relationships of species and the environment. And not everything falls into perfect agreement. One study that reviewed the relationship between temperature and salinity at a mass bleaching in Thailand, found that salinity did not seem to play a critical role in triggering the event. Whereas, another study concluded that higher salinity levels can impact both the coral host and its symbiotic algae, effecting its long-term health.

We still have much to learn but the research must continue so that we have a clear understanding as to what is happening to the earth's coral reefs so that we can both potentially treat and prevent the abuses that are impacting these critical marine ecosystems.

Coral Reef Alliance: seeking pratcical solutions to sustain coral reefs

The Coral Reef Alliance is one of the international organizations dedicated to protecting our coral reefs. They strive to strike a balance between strict environmental protection and well-managed economic development that can help sustain the reefs.

The Reef Tank's Community Blog had an opportunity to interview the Coral Reef Alliance's executive director, Brian Huse. Here's a portion of the post:

"Coral reefs are dying. It's a sad, but true fact.

Fortunately, one group out there believes in the majesty and mystery of coral reefs and in their ability to teach, sustain, inspire and give life. They've gone to great lengths to turn the dive community into one of conservation and commitment to the protection of corals. Thus, the Coral Reef Alliance has grown from a small, grassroots alliance into the only international non-profit organization that works exclusively to protect our planet's coral reefs.

'We have lost over 20% of all coral reefs in the past 40 years and, if we don’t reduce human impact on them, we may lose our remaining reefs within our lifetime,' says Executive Director Brian Huse in an interview, 'We hold the hope for reversing this crisis and believe in the power of community to make change, to find common ground, and to heal.'

Read more of Brian's inspirational words below.

What is the Coral Reef Alliance and how do you carry out your mission to save coral reefs?
Originally founded in 1994 to galvanize the dive community for conservation, CORAL has grown from a small, grassroots alliance into the only international nonprofit organization that works exclusively to protect our planet's coral reefs. We provide tools, education, and inspiration to residents of coral reef destinations to support local projects that benefit both reefs and people. We currently work in Hawaii, Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia.

What are some of your ongoing projects and campaigns? What creative and appropriate solutions do you seek?
CORAL’s approach is to build Coral Reef Sustainable Destinations (CRSD) around strategically located Marine Protected Areas and the communities who rely on them for food, coastal protection and livelihoods. Working with reef managers, the community, and the private sector, we build capacity for sustainable reef conservation management that returns benefits in the form of greater fish stocks, better job opportunities, and revenues that can improve the quality of life. Most importantly, CRSD targets the improvement of reef health within the MPAs in a way that builds resistance to global stressors such as climate change. For more information please go here.

Tell me about your Sustainable Marine Recreation workshops.
CORAL has developed a sequenced, comprehensive set of professional development workshops targeted for marine recreation providers and providing an introduction to the principles and practice of sustainable marine recreation. New and veteran marine recreation providers collaborate at these workshops to increase their confidence and gain familiarity with current coral science and research, issues in reef management, the benefits of marketing sustainability, and what educational experts have identified as effective strategies for learning in informal educational settings.

In addition to learning about sustainable marine recreation, participants engage in hands-on activities, practice a variety of teaching strategies for improved messaging to their clients, receive exciting materials, and review a host of resource materials to help them operate sustainably (examples of CORAL resources developed for tour operators can be found here and here.

How does recreational tourism affect the coral reef population?
Tourism is a double edge sword when it comes to maintaining healthy coral reefs. On the one hand, the development required and the increased population it generates put tremendous strain on reefs. However, if tourism can be managed sustainably, it can be leveraged in a way that generates revenue for conservation and community benefits. CORAL seeks to do just this – ensure the sustainability of tourism, and use the capacity inherent in recreational operations (boats, staff, and visitor contact) to improve reef health, educate tourists and, importantly, ensure that local populations benefit from the income generated."

Thanks to Ava at The Reef Tank. To read the entire posting, click here.

Flat Coral Reefs: the architecture of Caribbean reefs is changing

Healthy coral reefs include a multitude of nooks and crannies that provide a base and secure haven for a variety of organisms - from algae and plants to mollusks, lobster and fish. But according to Seaweb.org, a new study released by the University of Anglia in England shows strong evidence that Caribbean reefs are "flattening" and providing a less than favorable architectural structure that threatens the reefs' survival.

Comparing 460 studies done since 1968, the report identifies the reef "rugosity index" which measures the habitats' architectural complexity. An index number of 1.0 is considered flat, while at the other end of the scale (a healthy reef), anything greater than 3.0 is very rare. Apparently most reefs that were studied with an index of 2.5 have now disappeared and 75% of the reefs are around 1.5.

What is causing this? The report lists several potential causes - all naturally induced calamities.
White-band disease in the 1970's (which impacted Acropora coral species), followed by a disease-induced mortality in the mid-80's of a predatory urchin species (though a predator, the urchin serves to keep coral reefs healthy and free from overcrowding; like thinning a forest through natural processes). Then there was coral bleaching in the late 90's, where stressed coral expels its symbiotic algae. All of this could represent the natural ebb and flow of a reef: calamities that the reef could withstand and recover from in time.

But add to that, the impact of human activities - everything from pollution, acidification, excess sediment from land development, destructive fishing practices - and the reefs could be pushed far beyond their ability to recover. The loss of coral reefs would have immediate impact on fish populations (which have been in decline in the Caribbean for years), in addition to impacting commercial fish and lobster businesses. Lastly, the flatten architecture of the reefs would reduce their ability to act as important coastal protection from wave energy, exposing coastal communities to increased wave action, higher sea levels, and greater exposure to hurricanes.

Not only do we need to not threaten reefs with our own activities, but we must actively study and judiciously and carefully protect reefs when they are threatened by natural events to insure their long-term survival . . . and ours.

Weekend Update: wolves, corals, and more. . .

Here is a Weekend Update on several direct or related issues that have appeared in previous posts - some good, some not so good. Click on the subject heading to see the original posting.

Wolves - Endangered Status:
This past week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service put the Great Lakes wolf back on the endangered species list. This action bodes well for the pending court action to place the nearby Northern Rocky Mountain wolves residing in Idaho and Montana, which are currently subject to state-sanctioned hunting, back on the list also.

Copper Mine Expansion Stopped:
An Appeals Court voided a land trade between the Bureau of Land Management and the Asarco Corporation which would have traded 7,300 acres of private land for 11,000 acres of public land destined to allow the expansion of the Asarco copper mine. The court ruled that the trade was "arbitrary and capricious" and did not consider the environmental impact. Verizon Wireless gave a tepid response to 81k email protests regarding their support of a pro-mountaintop-removal mining rally held this past Labor Day, claiming the sponsorship was not an expression of mountaintop removal coal mining.

Desert Tortoise Relocation Thwarted:
Due in large part to public protest, the Bureau of Land Management halted the controversial relocation of over 1,000 desert tortoises, originally as part of an expansion of the Fort Irwin Army base. Relocation efforts in the past have proven fatal for many of the tortoises, but Fort Irwin is hoping to get approval from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to move 90 tortoises, thereby defying the Bureau's action.

CO2 at 350 ppm Emphasized by UN Scientists:
Member scientists of the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change again emphasized the need to establish a level of 350 parts per million for carbon dioxide emissions as the base level if we are to make any real progress. They warned that any legislation, like the current U.S. global warming legislation being considered, that sets CO2 limits above 350 ppm will lead to catastrophic effects on coral reefs and other ecosystems. The U.S. bill, passed by the House, sets the limit at 450 to 550 ppm. Over 350 organizations have urged a level of 350 ppm to be the goal in the U.S. Senate's version of the bill.

Endangered Species Waiting List:
And, as a final aside, according to the Center for Biological Diversity, there is a waiting list for species in need of Endangered Species List protection. Held back because of bureaucratic inefficiency or "higher priority" federal programs, the list includes 100 species that have been waiting for more than a decade and 73 have been waiting for more than a quarter-century. And apparently this bureaucratic quagmire has contributed to the extinction of 83 plants and animals between 1974 and 1994. The new Obama administration has said it will address a current backlog of over 250 species, but the proof will lie in the results.

Thanks to the proactive Center for Biological Diversity for the photos and info.

Coral Reefs Around the World: an extensive report & an important proposal - what you can do

As many of you know, the Earth's coral reefs have been showing serious signs of damage from pollution, temperature change, acidification, and destructive fishing techniques. It seems no coral reef on the planet has been immune from some level of impact.

The South Pacific contains some of the richest marine environments, particularly an area known as the "Coral Triangle" that includes Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Timor Leste. While the Coral Triangle only represents 1% of the earth's surface, it includes 30% of the world's reefs, 76% of the reef building coral species, and 30% of the coral reef fish species.

And according to The Coral Triangle and Climate Change: Ecosystems, People and Societies at Risk, a report from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the University of Queensland, Australia, the Coral Triangle is gravely at risk - with major consequences not only for the marine environment but for the people who live and depend on the natural resources that benefit from the reef ecosystem.

This is an extensive and thorough report (229 pages) and I have only started to get into it. It's actually a compilation and analysis of over 300 published scientific studies involving biology, economics and fisheries science, so the conclusions are pretty solid. It basically puts forward two scenarios: one is the bleaker scenario, where nothing is adequately done and the coral reefs of the Coral Triangle are expected to disappear by the end of the century. This would bring about a major collapse of the regional coastal environment's ability to feed the population. Up to 100 million people would suffer loss of livelihoods, increased poverty, loss of food security, and there would be a major migration of people away from the coast, either moving into tighter, more over-populated communities inland or migrating to neighboring countries like Australia or New Zealand, further taxing the resources of those countries. In all, a pretty dire scenario of direct impacts on mankind if we choose to ignore the fate of this vital component of a healthy marine ecosystem.

The other scenario, however, is a more promising one, avoiding the worst-case scenario, if governments and commerce can wake up to the seriousness of the issue and respond by controlling CO2 emissions, provide better management of fisheries, and control pollution and declining coastal water quality. There would still be a level of coral loss, a rise in sea level, and increased storm and drought activity - but if we act now, it can be brought under manageable levels and even improve over time.

So, there's still time, but the clock is ticking and so action must be taken now rather than later. Click here to download the entire report.

On the other side of globe, deep water corals along the southeast coast of the U.S., from North Carolina to Florida, are at risk from destructive fishing techniques. Commercial deep-water fishing techniques include longlines and trawls the rake across the bottom, scraping up everything in its path - including delicate corals. And this isn't a gentle little rub; these nets can lift 18-ton rocks and pieces of reef right off the bottom. (Watch these techniques at work and you'll think twice about ordering that shrimp cocktail.)

Oceana is initiating a campaign to garner support for a proposed regulation by NOAA to protect as much as 23,000 square miles of deep coral reef area. Click here to learn more about what you can do.