Coral Reefs and People in a High-CO2 World Where Can Science Make a Difference to People?

• Published in: PLOS ONE
• Main Authors: Pendleton, Linwood, Comte, Adrien, Langdon, Chris, Ekstrom, Julia A., Cooley, Sarah R., Suatoni, Lisa, Beck, Michael W., Brander, Luke M., Burke, Lauretta, Cinner, Josh E., Doherty, Carolyn, Edwards, Peter E. T., Gledhill, Dwight, Jiang, Li-Qing, van Hooidonk, Ruben J., Teh, Louise, Waldbusser, George G., Ritter, Jessica
• Other Authors: Aménagement des Usages des Ressources et des Espaces marins et littoraux - Centre de droit et d'économie de la mer (AMURE), Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer (IUEM), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS), University of Miami Coral Gables, University of California Davis (UC Davis), University of California, Ocean conservancy Washington, The Nature Conservancy, University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Amsterdam (VU), World Resources Institute, James Cook University (JCU), Duke University Durham, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), University of Maryland College Park, University of Maryland System, NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML), University of Northern British Columbia Prince George (UNBC), College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences Corvallis (CEOAS), Oregon State University (OSU), National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC) - National Science Foundation DBI-1052875, Prince Albert II Foundation, "Laboratoire d'Excellence" LabexMER - French government under the program "Investissements 'Avenir" ANR-10-LABX-19, Region of Brittany
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2016
• Subjects: Coral reefs; Marine ecology; Reef ecosystems; Bleaching; Surface temperature; Ocean temperature; Ecological risk; Oceans; [SDE]Environmental Sciences; [SDE.ES]Environmental Sciences/Environmental and Society; [SDE.MCG]Environmental Sciences/Global Changes; Ocean acidification
• Online Access: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02152551; https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0164699

Reefs and People at Risk Increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere put shallow, warm-water coral reef ecosystems, and the people who depend upon them at risk from two key global environmental stresses 1) elevated sea surface temperature (that can cause coral bleaching and related mortality), and 2) ocean acidification. These global stressors cannot be avoided by local management, compound local stressors, and hasten the loss of ecosystem services. Impacts to people will be most grave where a) human dependence on coral reef ecosystems is high, b) sea surface temperature reaches critical levels soonest, and c) ocean acidification levels are most severe. Where these elements align, swift action will be needed to protect people's lives and livelihoods, but such action must be informed by data and science. An Indicator Approach Designing policies to offset potential harm to coral reef ecosystems and people requires a better understanding of where CO2-related global environmental stresses could cause the most severe impacts. Mapping indicators has been proposed as a way of combining natural and social science data to identify policy actions even when the needed science is relatively nascent. To identify where people are at risk and where more science is needed, we map indicators of biological, physical and social science factors to understand how human dependence on coral reef ecosystems will be affected by globally-driven threats to corals expected in a high-CO2 world. Western Mexico, Micronesia, Indonesia and parts of Australia have high human dependence and will likely face severe combined threats. As a region, Southeast Asia is particularly at risk. Many of the countries most dependent upon coral reef ecosystems are places for which we have the least robust data on ocean acidification. These areas require new data and interdisciplinary scientific research to help coral reef-dependent human communities better prepare for a high CO2 world.