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
A two-year study has found the amount of algae on a coral reef is influenced by interaction between light and temperature, as well as by human impacts.
Global studies have long linked human activities to an increase in algae and the decline in reef-building corals, but have not focused on the impact of natural changes in the environment.
A team of scientists from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (CoralCoE) and Global Change Institute (GCI) based at The University of Queensland (UQ) have tracked environmental conditions, reef composition and coral-algal competition across Heron Island, on the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef.
They discovered interactions between light and temperature also influenced algal levels.
Lead author and CoralCoE PhD candidate, Kristen Brown said changes in algal biomass influenced the composition and frequency of coral-algal interactions.
Until now, how environmental factors interact to control the abundance of algae have mostly been inferred from seasonal peaks.
“Competition between coral and algae can lead to reductions in coral growth and survival, which can have implications on the structure and function of coral reef ecosystems,” Ms Brown said.
“Algae and their interactions with corals are more relevant than ever, especially given the rapidly degrading coral reef ecosystem dynamics.”
CoralCoE’s Deputy Director, Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg said a greater understanding of seasonal and spatial variation was important for interpreting the response of coral reef communities to any future disturbances.
The research, The dynamics of coral-algal interactions in space and time on the southern Great Barrier Reef’, is published in Frontiers in Marine Science (doi: 10.3389/fmars.2018.00181).
Citation: Brown, KT, Bender-Champ, D, Kubicek, A, van der Zande, R, Achlatis, M, Hoegh-Guldberg, O and Dove, SG (2018). The Dynamics of Coral-Algal Interactions in Space and Time on the Southern Great Barrier Reef. Front. Mar. Sci., doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2018.00181
Media: Kristen Brown, @imkristenbrown, +61 7 3346 7330; 0438 285 283
Coral reef research remains disproportionately guided by men from the US and Australia, often excluding scientists from countries with the greatest extent of coral reefs. A new paper published in F
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
Abstract: The coral reefs of Western Australia (WA) are morphologically diverse, with high levels of biodiversity and endemism. Carbonate forming reefs occur along 20o of latitude, and more than
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
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
