[Coral-List] ICRS session 18 - Geology and paleoecology as tools to decipher the modern coral-reef crisis

[Kuffner, Ilsa]

Dear Colleagues,

As the deadline for ICRS abstract submission draws near, we'd like to
invite you to submit to our session on "*Geology and paleoecology as tools
to decipher the modern coral-reef crisis"*

https://www.sgmeet.com/icrs2016/sessionschedule.asp?SessionID=18

Session description:

As we come to grips with the realities of Earth’s changing oceans, new
assessment techniques and metrics are required to quantify the status of
coral-reef ecosystems and to predict their response to continued
environmental change. Although extensive reef-monitoring programs have
carefully quantified the decline of the biological veneer living on the
outside of reefs, we must move beyond “percent live coral cover” as the
metric du jour. Research on geological processes, including reef accretion,
calcification, biotic and abiotic erosion, cementation, etc. can provide
valuable insights into reef decline and recovery on timescales more
relevant to the geologic lifespan of coral reefs. Quantifying these
processes across modern and historical environmental perturbations (e.g.,
change in climate, ocean chemistry, and water quality) will provide
scientists and managers an appropriate context for evaluating the potential
for future reef development. We seek abstracts exploring new approaches to
evaluating and quantifying reef accretion, paleoecology, topographic
complexity, abiotic cementation, biogenic calcification, etc. across
decadal to millennial timescales. A better understanding of the processes
that control the long-term resilience of reefs as geomorphic structures,
not just as ecological communities, will help optimize management
activities aimed at increasing both reef longevity and the delivery of
critical ecosystems services.

Anticipated session participants: Paleoecologists, geologists, ecologists,
Earth scientists, people developing new technology for mapping
geomorphology, people interested in the longevity of the physical structure
of reefs (e.g., for coastline protection), managers looking for new
monitoring techniques beyond live-coral cover, and people with new ideas on
how to quantify reef geological processes.
Please note that the abstract guidelines limit the length of abstracts to
1600 characters *including spaces*

We look forward to receving your submission!

Ilsa B. Kuffner & Lauren T. Toth
U.S. Geological Survey
St. Petersburg Coastal & Marine Science Center
600 4th Street South
St. Petersburg, FL 33701

Email: ikuffner at usgs.gov
Email: ltoth at usgs.gov

http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/crest/

https://profile.usgs.gov/ikuffner
https://profile.usgs.gov/ltoth