Research published this week in Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation employs a new approach of combining two-dimensional and three-dimensional remotely sensed seascape models to more accurately identify complex reef structure, and the populations of fish living within them.
Climate change is making ocean heat waves worse—a reality that increases the chances for mass bleaching and puts young coral in jeopardy. Click on the link below to read the full article.
Marine protected areas increase resilience among coral reef communities
With marine biodiversity declining globally at accelerating rates, maximising the effectiveness of conservation has become a key goal for local, national and international regulators. Marine protected areas (MPAs) have been widely advocated for conserving and managing marine biodiversity yet, despite extensive research, their benefits for conserving non-target species and wider ecosystem functions remain unclear.
Large-scale, multidirectional larval connectivity among coral reef fish populations in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
Larval dispersal is the key process by which populations of most marine fishes and invertebrates are connected and replenished. Advances in larval tagging and genetics have enhanced our capacity to track larval dispersal, assess scales of population connectivity, and quantify larval exchange among no-take marine reserves and fished areas. Recent studies have found that reserves can be a significant source of recruits for populations up to 40 km away, but the scale and direction of larval connectivity across larger seascapes remain unknown.
Coral reefs in protected areas that regulate fishing and pollution have declined to the same extent as reef systems in unprotected areas, according to recent research.
Earth Day is an important reminder of the need for a sustainable future and encourages people to show appreciation to the planet by making an effort to protect the environment and the ecosystems within it.
Ocean warming is threatening coral reefs globally, with persistent thermal stress events degrading coral reefs worldwide, but a new study has found that corals at or near the equator are affected less than corals elsewhere. Click on the link below to read the full article.
SPREP's Duncan McIntosh said while the solution has to be dealt with globally by reducing carbon emissions, there are strategies which can be employed locally. Click on the link below to read the full article and access associated interview.
The Pacific Blue Belt Project successfully completed its final activities in November 2018. These activities included implementing ten coral fragmentation restoration structures and providing training for four underwater educational trails in French Polynesia.
Marine and climate scientists from Columbia’s Earth Institute and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) are exploring ways to protect this valuable Caribbean ecosystem, the second largest barrier reef in the world, from the potentially disastrous effects of climate change.