Skip to content

Climate

Gauging the Effects of Climate Change on Corals and Coral Extinction

by Dave Armstrong 22 Feb 2012
Gauging the Effects of Climate Change on Corals and Coral Extinction

Acropora sp. growing in the Indo-pacific today; Credit: © Rachel Silverstein

Living corals at risk and reasons for past extinction are urgent problems for scientists struggling to cope with our burgeoning reef conservation problems. Robert van Woesik and his co-workers in Kenya and throughout the US have compared the gene resilience of Pliocene, Pleistocene and modern corals. Already, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has prepared extinction risk data with which their new data was compared.

Thermal stress at the present time may have influenced several genera of corals while climate change in the Plio-Pleistocene drastically affected 17 genera in the Caribbean. Early in the Pliocene, the polar ice-caps formed, while the Caribbean was cut off from the Pacific by the formation of the isthmus of Panama.

However, 25 other genera of corals persisted there successfully. Pocillipora and Stylophora were dominating shallow reefs early in the Pliocene. Stylophora quickly reacted to the cooling and became extinct, while the previously common and large colonies of Pocillopora slowly shifted to a patchy distribution of small colonies, finally becoming extinct in the last interglacial period**. Of the 25 persisting genera, the Caribbean Acropona spp (A. palmate and A. cervicornis) became more common throughout the two periods, while others remained stable in distribution.

Member of the research team carefully measuring reef species

Member of the research team carefully measuring reef species; Credit: © Evan D'Alessandro

The current research, published in the Royal Society Journal, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, is out to prove that the specific traits (of a genus of coral) are responsible for survival and that they have not been and are not being subject to random extinction.

The team measured modern corals by a resilience score Traits such as calcium uptake and exact modes of sexual reproduction, not forgetting the type of algal symbiont associated with the animals, were expertly assessed in order to give a resilience score. The ancient Caribbean was then sampled by visiting 70 localities in Central America and the Caribbean, covering 4 different fossil sequences within the Pliocene and the Pleistocene. The species list here comprised 154 corals, with 6528 specimens investigated.

Now came the vulnerability check with the 3 lowest-ranked modern corals assessed as vulnerable to extinction today (Stylophora, Pocillopora and foliose Pavona spp). In the Caribbean today, only one genus seemed vulnerable (Madracis spp.) Meanwhile the resilience scores also gave seven genera high and tolerant scores in both the Indo-Pacific and the Caribbean.

Comparing the fossil corals now became strategic. The same three vulnerable corals in the Indo-Pacific appeared as some of the extinct groups during the Plio-Pleistocene era. As this is such an unlikely result to have happened by chance, the "random extinction" theory seems to be unsupported All four regional extinctions in the ancient Caribbean also had negative resilience, while four living corals all had a positive result. This correlation is not ignored by the researchers who point out the significance in great detail, leaving us only a trait-based framework as a tool for reef management strategy.

Next, the IUCN data was examined and found to be generally agreeable. The relationship wasn't statistically significant but most genera were in agreement, except one or two such as Stylophora, which seem much more endangered than the IUCN indicate. Obviously it would now be useful to incorporate the validated assessment and ecological data from this research into the IUCN. data, to produce the most accurate prediction available, given the urgency of conservation.

Areas for discussion suggested by the paper include looking at how widespread a coral is, then working out if that very distribution will help some colonies to survive change, in the same way that some Pocillopora spp. survived (for some millions of years) in the past**. Perhaps the unprecedented rate of warming at the moment will negate any efforts to protect or conserve, but consistent patterns seem to indicate that corals and others can have predictable fates. It is our increasing ability to use the past to look into the future that is becoming critical.

A beautiful, flourishing Pocillopora coral outcrop, with attendant soldier fish

A beautiful, flourishing Pocillopora coral outcrop, with attendant soldier fish; Credit: Shutterstock


Trending Eco-Friendly Clothing

Love My Planet Women's Relaxed Fit Hoodie
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Love My Planet Women's Relaxed Fit Hoodie
Love My Planet women's eco-friendly relaxed fit hoodieSize Guide Centimeters 8 10 12 14 16 18 Bust 84 88 92 97 103 108 Waist 66 70 75 80 85 91 Hips 91 95 99 104 109 116 Bust: Measure around the fullest part of...
£38.00
£38.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Penguins Hate Push-Ups Men's Pullover Hoodie
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Penguins Hate Push-Ups Men's Pullover Hoodie
Penguins Hate Push-Ups men's eco-friendly pullover HoodieSize Guide Centimeters XS S M L XL XXL Height 171 175 179 183 189 195 Chest 86 93 99 104 116 129 Waist 71 76 81 89 99 112 Chest: Measure all round your chest just below...
£38.00
£38.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Lightning Bolt Kids Long Sleeve T-Shirt
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Notify me
Lightning Bolt Kids Long Sleeve T-Shirt
Lightning Bolt kids eco-friendly long sleeve t-shirtSize Guide Centimeters 3-4yrs 5-6yrs 7-8yrs 9-10yrs 11-12yrs Height 98 112 125 136 147 Chest 60 66 70 75 84 Chest: Measure all around your chest just below your armpits. Height: Your natural height If you fall between...
£18.00
£18.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Notify me
Union Jack Tote Bag
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Union Jack Tote Bag
Union Jack eco-friendly colour tote bagProduct Specification Organic Cotton Tote Bag. Twill Weave (170gsm). 37 x 42 cm (7cm gusset.) Made in India / Designed on the Isle of Wight. Wash Cool, Hang Dry.
£16.00
£16.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Prev Post
Next Post

Eco-Friendly Shop

Women's Clothing

Eco-Friendly Clothing for Women Our online shop offers a wide range of sustainable women’s clothing products, including t-shirts, hoodies, vests, sweaters, shorts, and...
Shop Now

Men's Clothing

Eco-Friendly Clothing for Men Our online shop offers a wide range of sustainable men’s clothing products, including t-shirts, hoodies, vests, sweaters, shorts, and...
Shop Now

Kids Clothing

Eco-Friendly Clothes for Kids Our online shop offers a wide range of sustainable kids clothing products, including t-shirts, hoodies and jumpers. Our garments...
Shop Now
Someone recently bought a
[time] ago, from [location]

Thanks for subscribing!

This email has been registered!

Shop the look

Choose Options

Earth Times
Sign up for exclusive updates, new arrivals & insider only discounts

Recently Viewed

Edit Option
Back In Stock Notification
this is just a warning
Login
Shopping Cart
0 items

Before you leave...

Take 20% off your first order

20% off

Enter the code below at checkout to get 20% off your first order

CODESALE20

Continue Shopping