Corals roll with the punches
A new study suggests corals may be able to cope with climate change in the coming decades better than previously thought—but will still struggle with ever-faster rates of climate change. Lead aut
ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies
James Cook University Townsville
Queensland 4811 Australia
Phone: 61 7 4781 4000
Email: info@coralcoe.org.au
Understanding how reefs grow and respond following environmental disturbances can provide us with an early warning system for predicting future reef health. Accretion of the reef framework primarily reflects the combined activities of calcifying organisms and destructive biophysical processes. However, we know very little about how these processes interact following environmental disturbances. Biological reef building process (e.g. calcification, bioerosion, coral recruitment) are being assessed in order to understand how terrestrial runoff and climate change events have influenced the development of modern day reefs. Findings suggest that: 1) in years following hurricanes and bleaching events coral recruitment is limited, and 2) calcification and net reef accretion can occur where environmental conditions approach or exceed perceived thresholds for coral survival.
A new study suggests corals may be able to cope with climate change in the coming decades better than previously thought—but will still struggle with ever-faster rates of climate change. Lead aut
A new study raises questions on whether current conservation science and policy for protected areas could be saving more biodiversity—with political and economic expediency often having taken prece
A new study reveals the strategies that stop bandits from illegally fishing in Australian waters—but warns there is a cost to the region’s poorer countries. Co-author Dr Brock Bergseth, from th
Five world-renowned scientists have signed a letter to UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay to "thank UNESCO for its leadership in recognising the threat of climate change to the Great Barrier Reef
Abstract: Rainforests are much more than exotic and wondrous fauna and flora, they are the ancestral domain of Indigenous Peoples who have safeguarded them since time immemorial. Learn about this thr
Abstract: Ecological conditions on coral reefs are shifting. Fishes are an integral part of these restructuring ecosystems and can support ecological stability. However, the extent to which fishes wi
Abstract: This presentation reports on a journal paper being drafted that has been around 10 years in the making. I set out a long time ago to settle the arguments around protected areas being residu
Abstract: Contemporary global changes have put the capacity of future reefs to continue providing fish and fisheries production in jeopardy. Understanding future trends will require innovative and ac
Abstract: No-take marine reserves are a cornerstone of marine ecosystem management in Australia, though they are rarely considered as an effective fisheries management strategy. Yet, by accumulating
Abstract: There are increasing calls to deliver effective, equitable marine conservation – particularly in places where coastal communities are dependent on their natural resources for a range of be
Abstract: Harvesting models are based upon the ideology that removing large, old individuals provides space for young, fast-growing counterparts that can maximize (fisheries) yields while maintaining
Abstract: Coral assemblages from the remote Kimberley coast in North Western Australia thrive despite experiencing extreme heat, aerial exposure and fluctuating turbidity. These corals present an
Partner Research Institutions
ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies
James Cook University Townsville
Queensland 4811 Australia
Phone: 61 7 4781 4000
Email: info@coralcoe.org.au