[Coral-List] Identifying bleaching sensitive reef locations a priori

[Scott Wooldridge]

Hi All,


Please find attached a link to a new manuscript that my colleagues and I
have recently published with Marine Pollution Bulletin.  This manuscript is
significant in that it highlights how the desirable reef-scale attribute of
thermal bleaching resistance correlates with commonly monitored coral
health attributes, such as the tissue energy reserves and skeletal growth
characteristics (viz. density and extension rates) of massive *Porites*
spp. corals (family Poritidae). In this way, we propose that bleaching
resistant reefs can be readily identified by characteristic coral health
signatures that exist outside of thermal stress conditions, thereby
providing a rational means by which every reef site on the GBR (and
elsewhere) could be ‘field-ranked’ in terms of coral health and thermal
bleaching sensitivity *a priori.* This is an extremely useful development
in terms of designing a network of bleaching resistant marine protected
areas (MPAs).



Wooldridge SA, Heron SF, Brodie JE, Done TJ, Masiri, I, Henrichs S. Excess
seawater nutrients, enlarged algal symbiont densities and bleaching
sensitive reef locations: 2. A regional-scale predictive model for the
Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Mar Pollut Bull, 2016.



Abstract:  A spatial risk assessment model is developed for the Great
Barrier Reef (GBR, Australia) that helps identify reef locations at higher
or lower risk of coral bleaching in summer heat-wave conditions. The model
confirms the considerable benefit of discriminating nutrient-enriched areas
that contain corals with enlarged (suboptimal) symbiont densities for the
purpose of identifying bleaching-sensitive reef locations. The benefit of
the new system-level understanding is showcased in terms of: (i) improving
early-warning forecasts of summer bleaching risk, (ii) explaining
historical bleaching patterns, (iii) testing the bleaching-resistant
quality of the current marine protected area (MPA) network (iv) identifying
routinely monitored coral health attributes, such as the tissue energy
reserves and skeletal growth characteristics (viz. density and extension
rates) that correlate with bleaching resistant reef locations, and (v)
targeting region-specific water quality improvement strategies that may
increase reef-scale coral health and bleaching resistance.



https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308746844_Excess_seawater_nutrients_enlarged_algal_symbiont_densities_and_bleaching_sensitive_reef_locations_2_A_regional-scale_predictive_model_for_the_Great_Barrier_Reef_Australia




The manuscript build on the theory outlined in:



Wooldridge SA. Excess seawater nutrients, enlarged algal symbiont densities
and bleaching sensitive reef locations: 1. Identifying thresholds of
concern for the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Mar Pollut Bull, 2016a.



https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308746785_Excess_seawater_nutrients_enlarged_algal_symbiont_densities_and_bleaching_sensitive_reef_locations_1_Identifying_thresholds_of_concern_for_the_Great_Barrier_Reef_Australia



Many Thanks,

Scott

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Scott_Wooldridge