Warm-water coral reefs and climate change

Coral reefs are highly dynamic ecosystems that are regularly exposed to natural perturbations. Human activities have increased the range, intensity, and frequency of disturbance to reefs. Threats such as overfishing and pollution are being compounded by climate change, notably warming and ocean acid...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2015-11, Vol.350 (6262), p.769-771
Main Authors: Spalding, Mark D., Brown, Barbara E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Anthozoa - physiology
Climate change
Coral Reefs
Disturbances
Ecosystems
Environmental impact
Global Warming
High temperature
Human Activities
Human influences
Humans
Oceans
PERSPECTIVE
Reduction
Reefs
Seawater
Symbiosis
Water Pollution
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Summary:Coral reefs are highly dynamic ecosystems that are regularly exposed to natural perturbations. Human activities have increased the range, intensity, and frequency of disturbance to reefs. Threats such as overfishing and pollution are being compounded by climate change, notably warming and ocean acidification. Elevated temperatures are driving increasingly frequent bleaching events that can lead to the loss of both coral cover and reef structural complexity. There remains considerable variability in the distribution of threats and in the ability of reefs to survive or recover from such disturbances. Without significant emissions reductions, however, the future of coral reefs is increasingly bleak.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.aad0349