Managing Coral Reefs in the Face of Global Climate Change: Developing a Coral Resilience Framework

• Main Author: Porter, Megan
• Other Authors: Liana McManus, Chris Langdon, Kenneth Broad
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: Scholarly Repository 2010
• Subjects: St. Eustatius National Marine Park; St. Maarten Marine Park; Biscayne National Park; Ocean acidification
• Online Access: https://scholarlyrepository.miami.edu/oa_theses/287; https://scholarlyrepository.miami.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1287&context=oa_theses

Two experiments were performed to determine the effect of ocean acidification on Montastraea faveolata vertical skeletal growth and lesion healing. The first experiment used three different CO2 concentrations: present day atmospheric pCO2, 380 microatm, and the atmospheric pCO2 expected by the years 2050, 560 microatm, and 2100, 800 microatm. The second experiment used 380 and 560 microatm. In the second experiment where the influence of parent colony was analyzed, M. faveolata fragments from one coral colony had significantly slower skeletal growth rates and less healed lesion area than other colonies. Corals that calcify and regenerate tissue slower may have less resilience to ocean acidification. The experiments demonstrated that the corals in 800 microatm grew significantly slower than corals in 380 or 560 microatm. Increased CO2 concentrations increased M. faveolata skeletal growth rates and healed lesion area until a threshold was reached, 560 microatm, then growth rates and healed lesion area decreased. Less than 1% of the variability in healing rates could be explained by CO2. The Nature Conservancy Resilience Model was used as a framework to identify current management strategies of wider Caribbean MPAs that may increase coral reef resilience to climate change. Seven out of the 8 MPAs had representation, critical areas, connectivity, and effective management as determined by each MPA's management plan. Three management plans had specific climate management strategies. Each management plan had actions to build coral reef resilience, but institutional incapacities and other barriers can decrease the ability to increase reef resilience. Because of the weaknesses of the Resilience Model, revised resilience guidelines were developed with the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) as a case study. The coral lesion experiment results and interviews with FKNMS managers and the FKNMS's Sanctuary Advisory Council helped design the revised resilience guidelines. The revised climate-based coral reef resilience guidelines are to 1) incorporate more no-take zones and hedge the risks against ocean acidification, 2) identify resilient coral reefs and perform more climate change research, 3) reduce local stressors, 4) enhance coral reef recovery, and 5) increase public awareness and education on climate change impacts to coral reefs.