A global coral-bleaching database, 1980–2020

Coral reefs are the world’s most diverse marine ecosystems that provide resources and services that benefit millions of people globally. Yet, coral reefs have recently experienced an increase in the frequency and intensity of thermal-stress events that are causing coral bleaching. Coral bleaching is...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scientific data 2022-01, Vol.9 (1), p.20-20, Article 20
Main Authors: van Woesik, Robert, Kratochwill, Chelsey
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
704/158/2165
704/829/826
Animals
Anthozoa
Coral bleaching
Coral Reefs
Corals
Data Descriptor
Databases, Factual
Ecosystem
Humanities and Social Sciences
Marine ecosystems
multidisciplinary
Pigments
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Symbionts
Symbiosis
Temperature
Turbidity
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Summary:Coral reefs are the world’s most diverse marine ecosystems that provide resources and services that benefit millions of people globally. Yet, coral reefs have recently experienced an increase in the frequency and intensity of thermal-stress events that are causing coral bleaching. Coral bleaching is a result of the breakdown of the symbiosis between corals and their symbiotic microalgae, causing the loss of pigments and symbionts, giving corals a pale, bleached appearance. Bleaching can be temporary or fatal for corals, depending on the species, the geographic location, historical conditions, and on local and regional influences. Indeed, marine heat waves are the greatest threat to corals worldwide. Here we compile a Global Coral-Bleaching Database (GCBD) that encompasses 34,846 coral bleaching records from 14,405 sites in 93 countries, from 1980–2020. The GCBD provides vital information on the presence or absence of coral bleaching along with site exposure, distance to land, mean turbidity, cyclone frequency, and a suite of sea-surface temperature metrics at the times of survey. Measurement(s) coral bleaching process Technology Type(s) field estimates Factor Type(s) sea surface temperature metrics Sample Characteristic - Organism Scleractinia Sample Characteristic - Environment marine benthic biome Sample Characteristic - Location global Machine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.16958353
ISSN:2052-4463
2052-4463
DOI:10.1038/s41597-022-01121-y