Underlying drivers of coral reef vulnerability to bleaching in the Mesoamerican Reef

Muñiz-Castillo, Aarón Israel; Rivera-Sosa, Andrea; McField, Melanie; Chollett, Iliana; Eakin, C. Mark; Enríquez, Susana; Giró, Ana; Drysdale, Ian; Rueda, Marisol; Soto, Mélina; Craig, Nicole; Arias-González, Jesús Ernesto

doi:10.1038/s42003-024-07128-y

i

Underlying drivers of coral reef vulnerability to bleaching in the Mesoamerican Reef

2024
By Muñiz-Castillo, Aarón Israel ; Rivera-Sosa, Andrea ; McField, Melanie ; ...

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Journal Title:

Communications Biology
Personal Author:

Muñiz-Castillo, Aarón Israel ; Rivera-Sosa, Andrea ; McField, Melanie ; Chollett, Iliana ; Eakin, C. Mark ; Enríquez, Susana ; Giró, Ana ; Drysdale, Ian ; Rueda, Marisol ; Soto, Mélina ; Craig, Nicole ; Arias-González, Jesús Ernesto
NOAA Program & Office:

CoRIS (Coral Reef Information System)
Description:

Coral bleaching, a consequence of stressed symbiotic relationships between corals and algae, has escalated due to intensified heat stress events driven by climate change. Despite global efforts, current early warning systems lack local precision. Our study, spanning 2015–2017 in the Mesoamerican Reef, revealed prevalent intermediate bleaching, peaking in 2017. By scrutinizing 23 stress exposure and sensitivity metrics, we accurately predicted 75% of bleaching severity variation. Notably, distinct thermal patterns—particularly the climatological seasonal warming rate and various heat stress metrics—emerged as better predictors compared to conventional indices (such as Degree Heating Weeks). Surprisingly, deeper reefs with diverse coral communities showed heightened vulnerability. This study presents a framework for coral reef bleaching vulnerability assessment, leveraging accessible data (including historical and real-time sea surface temperature, habitat variables, and species composition). Its operational potential lies in seamless integration with existing monitoring systems, offering crucial insights for conservation and management.
Source:

Communications Biology, 7(1)
DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-07128-y
ISSN:

2399-3642
Format:

pdf
Publisher:

Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Document Type:

Journal Article
License:

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Rights Information:

CC BY
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Library
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urn:sha-512:e273240460145225c2d633c021d5edf067587e1c60464bc305e6e7c01a8d88211af70895ad751b70c051ad6f164b18a4fba3a943780f128279724548206ce5d7
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https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/68797/noaa_68797_DS1.pdf
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