MSGID: 1:317/3 6270b03a   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
    Scientists map living corals before and after marine heat wave: Winners   
   and losers discovered    
    Findings could help manage and build a resilient network of coral reefs   
      
      
     Date:   
         May 2, 2022   
     Source:   
         Arizona State University   
     Summary:   
         Scientists reveal that different corals and environments influence   
         the likelihood of their survival when ocean temperatures rise. The   
         findings also demonstrate that advanced remote sensing technologies   
         provide an opportunity to scale-up reef monitoring like never   
         before.   
      
      
      
   FULL STORY   
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   As the world sees rising ocean temperatures, it will also see more cases   
   of coral bleaching. When corals bleach, they become more vulnerable to   
   other stressors such as water pollution. However, many reefs harbor   
   corals that persist despite warming oceans. Unraveling the complex   
   issue of coral bleaching and its impact on their survival or death may   
   be key to conserving coral reefs -- ecosystems that more than half a   
   billion people around the world rely on for food, jobs, recreation and   
   coastline protection.   
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   For the first time, scientists have mapped the location of living corals   
   before and after a major marine heat wave. In the new study, research   
   shows where corals are surviving despite rising ocean temperatures caused   
   by climate change. The study also finds that coastal development and   
   water pollution negatively affect coral reefs.   
      
   In the study, published today in Proceedings of the National Academy   
   of Sciences, Arizona State University scientists with the Julie Ann   
   Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory reveal that different corals and   
   environments influence the likelihood of their survival when ocean   
   temperatures rise. The findings also demonstrate that advanced remote   
   sensing technologies provide an opportunity to scale-up reef monitoring   
   like never before.   
      
   From its home in the Hawaiian Islands, ASU researchers with the Center   
   for Global Discovery and Conservation Science took to the sky on   
   the Global Airborne Observatory (GAO). The aircraft is equipped with   
   advanced spectrometers that map ecosystems both on land and beneath the   
   ocean surface.   
      
   With these maps, the researchers can assess changes in coastal ecosystems   
   over time.   
      
   "Repeat coral mapping with the GAO revealed how Hawaii's coral reefs   
   responded to the 2019 mass bleaching event," said Greg Asner, lead author   
   of the study and director of the ASU Center for Global Discovery and   
   Conservation Science.   
      
   "We discovered coral 'winners' and 'losers.' And these winning corals   
   are associated with cleaner water and less coastal development despite   
   elevated water temperatures."  When the Hawaiian Islands faced a   
   mass bleaching event in 2019, the GAO mapped live coral cover along   
   eight islands before the marine heat wave arrived. With these data, the   
   researchers identified more than 10 potential coral refugia - - habitats   
   that may offer a safe haven for corals facing climate change. Among   
   the potential refugia, there was up to 40% less coral mortality than on   
   neighboring reefs, despite similar heat stress.   
      
   The results also indicated that reefs near heavily developed coasts are   
   more susceptible to mortality during heat waves. When development occurs   
   on land, the amount of pollution entering the reef ecosystem increases,   
   creating an unfavorable environment for coral reefs already fighting to   
   survive the warming water.   
      
   "This study supports Hawaii's Holomua Marine 30x30 Initiative by not   
   only identifying areas impacted by ocean heat waves, but also areas   
   of refugia," said Brian Neilson, study co-author and head of Hawaii's   
   Division of Aquatic Resources, "These findings can be incorporated   
   into management plans to aid in building a resilient network of reef   
   regions and sustaining Hawaii's reefs and the communities that depend on   
   them into the future."  The Holomua 30x30 initiative aims to establish   
   marine management areas across 30% of Hawaii's nearshore waters. Coral   
   reefs in Hawaii are integral to life on the islands, tied to culture   
   and livelihoods. Understanding which corals are surviving is key to   
   achieving conservation that is targeted and effective.   
      
   "Previous approaches have failed to deliver actionable interventions   
   that might improve coral survival during heat waves or to locate places   
   of heatwave resistance, known as coral refugia, for rapid protection,"   
   said Asner, who is also director of the Global Airborne Observatory. "Our   
   findings highlight the new role that coral mortality and survival   
   monitoring can play for targeted conservation that protects more   
   corals in our changing climate."  The Center for Global Discovery and   
   Conservation Science at ASU collaborated on this study with the Hawaii   
   Division of Aquatic Resources and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric   
   Administration's Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center. The Lenfest   
   Ocean Program of Pew Charitable Trusts supported this study.   
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   Story Source: Materials provided by Arizona_State_University. Original   
   written by Makenna Flynn. Note: Content may be edited for style and   
   length.   
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   Journal Reference:   
      1. Gregory P. Asner et al. Mapped coral mortality and refugia in an   
         archipelago-scale marine heat wave. PNAS, 2022 DOI: 10.1073/   
         pnas.2123331119   
   ==========================================================================   
      
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/05/220502170854.htm   
      
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