[Coral-List] ICRS 2020: Submission open for session on ocean deoxygenation and the decline of coral reefs

[Maggie Johnson]

*Abstract submission for ICRS 2020* is in full swing. We are pleased to
invite you to submit an abstract to our session on *the role of ocean
deoxygenation as a factor regulating the decline of coral reefs*.

*Hosted by: *
David Hughes, University of Technology Sydney
Andrew Altieri, University of Florida
Michael Kuhl, University of Copenhagen
Maggie Johnson, Smithsonian Institution
Adrienne Correa, Rice University

*Session description:*
Ocean deoxygenation is a global phenomenon, with dissolved O2 changing more
dramatically than any other environmental variable in recent decades.
Research has highlighted the detrimental impact
of hypoxia (low dissolved O2) within temperate coastal systems, identifying
ecosystem thresholds, or "tipping points" beyond which catastrophic loss of
productivity and biodiversity occurs. Yet, the effect
of hypoxia on tropical coral reefs has, surprisingly, been almost entirely
overlooked relative to thermal stress and ocean acidification. This is
despite historical evidence implicating hypoxia as a key factor
contributing to mass extinctions of reef organisms, and transient gaps in
reef formation over geological timescales. How hypoxia broadly impacts
coral reef taxa is largely unknown, including the
potential for acclimation or adaptation, and thus predicting how
deoxygenation will shape the future form and functioning of coral reefs is
currently not possible to currently resolve. In this session we will
consider presentations that address how we can begin to define hypoxia
stress within coral reef ecosystems and how and when it occurs. For
example, How do hypoxia thresholds vary across key
coral reef taxa? Is environmental history a key factor determining hypoxia
resilience? What physiological and genetic mechanisms are responsible for
conferring hypoxia tolerance to coral reef
organisms? Do microscale habitats (e.g., the O2 microenvironment) play a
key role in mitigating hypoxic stress? Can we disentangle the effects of
hypoxia from co-occurring stressors, e.g.,
temperature and pH? Are urbanised and deep-water tropical reefs
particularly vulnerable to deoxygenation events? Can we develop predictive
capacity to identify vulnerable taxa or locations
most vulnerable to hypoxic stress based on existing empirical data? We
encourage submissions that consider all aspects of the hypoxia impacts,
from microscale interactions to the wider ecosystem level,
aimed at understanding the impacts of low-oxygen stress on coral reef
ecosystems and how these can potentially be mitigated by management
practices and/or environmental reform.

We look forward to hearing more about your research and an invigorating
discussion. Please contact the session chair or co-chairs with questions.


*Don't forget, abstracts are due by Sept 1.*

Best,
Maggie Johnson

-- 
Maggie D. Johnson, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow | Marine Global Earth Observatory (MarineGEO)
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce

Website: www.maggiedjohnson.com
Twitter: @MaggieDJohnson