Article
Biology
James P. W. Robinson, Emily S. Darling, Eva Maire, Mark Hamilton, Christina C. Hicks, Stacy D. Jupiter, M. Aaron MacNeil, Sangeeta Mangubhai, Tim Mcclanahan, Yashika Nand, Nicholas A. J. Graham
Summary: Coral reef fisheries provide nutritious catch to tropical communities, but current management strategies focus on total reef fish biomass rather than individual growth and nutrient content, limiting the sustainability of nutritious catches.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tim Rice McClanahan, Maxwell Kodia Azali
Summary: Current coral reef future models rely on threshold (TM) and multivariate environmental variability models (VM), with VM based on General Additive Model showing more accurate predictions for coral cover by considering significant environmental and fisheries management variables and determining that common predictive variables are weak or not significant predictors of coral cover. By comparing the predictions of the two models for future coral cover, it was found that the VM is more accurate than the TM in predicting coral cover in 2050.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wentao Zhu, Yuxiao Ren, Xiangbo Liu, Duanjie Huang, Jingquan Xia, Ming Zhu, Hongyang Yin, Rouwen Chen, Xiubao Li
Summary: This study examines the impact of the Qiongdong upwelling on the coastal coral reefs of Hainan Island. The results show significant differences in environmental variables between upwelling and non-upwelling areas, with colder and saltier water and lower coral coverage in the upwelling areas. The upwelling areas also face severe threats from coastal development and local anthropogenic activities.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Floortje E. Roelvink, Curt D. Storlazzi, Ap R. van Dongeren, Stuart G. Pearson
Summary: The study shows that broader and shallower coral restoration projects are most effective in reducing wave-driven flooding, such as those on the upper fore reef and between the reef flat and shoreline, compared to deeper locations on the fore reef or at the reef crest. It suggests that planting more physically robust coral species in shallower and more energetic locations can increase the coastal hazard risk reduction potential of reef restoration.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Oceanography
Dane Erlo Matorres, Michael Fabinyi, Kate Barclay, Peter Harrison
Summary: Most coral restoration work focuses on technical approaches, neglecting the social, economic, and political contexts. This study examines the interactions between major coastal economic sectors and coral restoration in the Philippines, highlighting the importance of these interactions for the governance and sustainability of restoration projects.
OCEAN & COASTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Rebecca C. Millington, Alice Rogers, Peter Cox, Yves-Marie Bozec, Peter J. Mumby
Summary: Ocean warming has widespread impacts on coral reef ecosystems, affecting food webs and ecosystem function. The direct impacts include increased metabolic rates of fishes and invertebrates, while indirect impacts result from loss of habitat quality due to coral bleaching. The study found that changes in biomass with warming were primarily controlled by the direct effects on growth rates, rather than indirect effects on coral habitat. Crucially for fisheries, the biomass and productivity of predators decreased significantly with warming.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Lisa Goberdhan, Stuart Kininmonth
Summary: Analysis of coral growth rates of Porites lutea colonies across shallow reefs in Fiji revealed declines in polluted areas and an influence of latitude on growth rates. The study also highlighted the importance of site-specific water quality and sea surface temperature in predicting coral growth distribution.
Article
Environmental Studies
Shreya Yadav, Abdulla Fisam, Rachel Dacks, Joshua S. Madin, Alexander Mawyer
Summary: People's preferences and choices around food directly influence their resource use and the resilience of natural systems. The study found that reef fishes are now a significant part of local diets in the Maldives, with changing preferences potentially impacting reef ecosystems. Seasonal spikes in local catch and consumption of reef fishes, as well as an informal sharing network, were documented in the study.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jeremy Prince, Watisoni Lalavanua, Jone Tamanitoakula, Laitia Tamata, Stuart Green, Scott Radway, Epeli Loganimoce, Tevita Vodivodi, Kalisiana Marama, Pitila Waqainabete, Frank Jeremiah, Diana Nalasi, Mosese Naleba, Waisea Naisilisili, Uraia Kaloudrau, Lepani Lagi, Kalisiana Logatabua, Rosemary Dautei, Rahul Tikaram, James Sloan, Sangeeta Mangubhai
Summary: Catastrophic overfishing in small-scale coastal fisheries in the Pacific highlights the need for a reevaluation of fisheries management methods. The application of Spawning Potential Surveys (SPS) shows effectiveness in guiding and motivating fisheries reform, emphasizing the necessity of a long-term and interdisciplinary approach to achieve societal change.
CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Mark Hamilton, James P. W. Robinson, Cassandra E. Benkwitt, Shaun K. Wilson, M. Aaron MacNeil, Ameer Ebrahim, Nicholas A. J. Graham
Summary: Changes in fish assemblages after coral bleaching and mortality can affect fisheries, particularly fish productivity and turnover. In Seychelles, fish productivity increased on reefs recovering to coral-dominated habitats, especially in fished areas, while it remained stable on reefs that shifted to macroalgae-dominated regimes. The benthic recovery trajectory strongly influenced post-bleaching fish productivity, emphasizing the importance of herbivore and invertivore species in sustaining small-scale inshore fisheries following climate disturbances.
Article
Geography, Physical
Jianguo Liu, Li Cao, Weihai Xu, Gang Li, Rong Xiang, Xiang Su, Yun Luo, Jun Cheng, Xudong Xu, Zhongxian Zhao, Wen Yan
Summary: This study reconstructed the formation and evolution history of the coral reef in Meiji Reef, Nansha Islands, South China Sea based on various analyses. The results revealed that the coral reef developed on a volcanic basement under the influence of regional tectonic movement and long-term climatic change. Multiple exposures and erosion events were found on the island. The development of the coral reef can be explained by a phased erosion deposition model.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Charlotte G. G. Clay, James Davis Reimer, Katie M. M. Cook, Hirotaka Yamagawa, Ellen Gravener, Lee Hui Yian Theodora, Maria Beger
Summary: This study assessed functional changes in fish communities in Nakagusuku Bay, Okinawa, Japan, over 45 years and identified possible drivers of these changes. The results showed reductions in functional richness and trait space contraction for fishes over time. Changes in habitat availability correlated with changes in the functional diversity of reef-fish communities.
MARINE AND FRESHWATER RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Oliver Selmoni, Gael Lecellier, Veronique Berteaux-Lecellier, Stephane Joost
Summary: Coral reefs are highly diverse ecosystems, but they have been degrading due to climate change and human activities. Understanding the environmental drivers of reef degradation is crucial for effective conservation strategies. Availability of environmental data is pivotal for coral reef researchers and stakeholders.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Paul G. Carvalho, Fakhrizal Setiawan, Karizma Fahlevy, Beginer Subhan, Hawis Madduppa, Guangyu Zhu, Austin T. Humphries
Summary: Research indicates that fishing pressure is the dominant driver of size spectra slopes in coral reef fishes, with carnivores being more heavily impacted as pressure increases. Additionally, habitat structural complexity plays a role in influencing the size spectra slopes of herbivorous fishes in coral reefs.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Elizabeth McLeod, Elizabeth C. Shaver, Maria Beger, Jennifer Koss, Gabriel Grimsditch
Summary: Climate change is causing global decline in coral reef ecosystems. It is crucial to reduce CO2 emissions and implement local management actions to support reef health and recovery. Resilience assessments quantify the context of reefs and help marine managers anticipate changes and prioritize management actions.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Limnology
Tania M. M. Kenyon, Christopher Doropoulos, Kennedy Wolfe, Gregory E. E. Webb, Sophie Dove, Daniel Harris, Peter J. J. Mumby
Summary: This article reviews the dynamics of rubble beds on coral reefs, with a focus on the changes expected in the generation, mobilization, binding, and coral recruitment of rubble on future reefs. It predicts that major disturbances, such as storms and coral bleaching, will increase in intensity and frequency, leading to larger quantities of coral rubble. With smaller recovery windows and increased bioerosion, smaller and less complex rubble pieces will be generated more often. The time available for binding will be reduced, and changing ocean chemistry may affect the efficacy of binders. Ultimately, increased rubble cover will negatively impact coral recruitment into rubble beds.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Vera Horigue, Russell Richards, Alima Taju, Joseph Maina
Summary: Globally, national park management has shifted towards incorporating socio-economic development objectives and moving away from strict protection. However, this approach has led to unintended consequences such as ecosystem degradation and overexploitation in developing countries. By using systems thinking and the human ecology systems framework, the study evaluates park management in the Philippines and Mozambique and identifies the importance of considering governance context and regulating human activities to protect the environment.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Amelia A. A. Desbiens, Peter J. J. Mumby, Symon Dworjanyn, Eva E. Plaganyi, Sven Uthicke, Kennedy Wolfe
Summary: This study investigated the predators of crown-of-thorns starfish (CoTS) and found 26 novel predators, but only 10 species regularly consumed juvenile CoTS. Most predation resulted in severed bodies and missing arms, rather than total consumption. The research highlights the importance of predators during the juvenile stage in controlling CoTS populations.
Article
Ecology
Kennedy Wolfe, Tania M. Kenyon, Amelia Desbiens, Kimberley de la Motte, Peter J. Mumby
Summary: Declines in habitat complexity have led to ecological degradation in various ecosystems. Coral reefs have served as a model for studying such changes, but previous research has mainly focused on corals and fish, overlooking the dominant role of small cryptic organisms. This study used a hierarchical framework to explore whether broad seascape parameters or nested microhabitat processes better describe cryptofauna communities in coral rubble. The results showed that microhabitat complexity influenced sessile organism cover, which in turn shaped the motile cryptofauna community.
ECOLOGICAL MONOGRAPHS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Robert A. B. Mason, Yves-Marie Bozec, Peter J. Mumby
Summary: Boat anchoring is a common practice at coral reefs with high economic or social value, but its impact on reef resilience has been understudied. Using an individual-based model, we simulated the effects of anchor damage on coral populations and estimated the carrying capacity of anchoring for different coral assemblages. We found that even a small to medium-sized recreational vessel can cause 0 to 3.1 anchor strikes per hectare per day. In a case study of the Great Barrier Reef, we demonstrated that mitigating anchoring can lead to significant coral gains under bleaching scenarios.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Graeme S. Cumming, Maja Adamska, Michele L. Barnes, Jon Barnett, David R. Bellwood, Joshua E. Cinner, Philippa J. Cohen, Jennifer M. Donelson, Katharina Fabricius, R. Quentin Grafton, Alana Grech, Georgina G. Gurney, Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Andrew S. Hoey, Mia O. Hoogenboom, Jacqueline Lau, Catherine E. Lovelock, Ryan Lowe, David J. Miller, Tiffany H. Morrison, Peter J. Mumby, Martin Nakata, John M. Pandolfi, Garry D. Peterson, Morgan S. Pratchett, Timothy Ravasi, Cynthia Riginos, Jodie L. Rummer, Britta Schaffelke, Thomas Wernberg, Shaun K. Wilson
Summary: SDG 14 aims to secure marine sustainability by 2030, and understanding the changing seascape, global actions, and the collaboration between science and society are vital for achieving this goal in the Asia-Pacific region. Through a horizon scan, researchers identified nine emerging research priorities that can contribute to marine sustainability, including understanding seascape evolution, drivers of change, and the costs and benefits to people. Researchers can contribute by developing interdisciplinary understandings, emphasizing equity and justice, and improving knowledge of cross-scale processes.
REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Kennedy Wolfe, Amelia A. A. Desbiens, Peter J. J. Mumby
Summary: Patterns of movement of marine species can provide valuable information about reproduction and dispersal strategies, species interactions, trophodynamics, and vulnerability to change, which is crucial for population and ecosystem management. In coral reefs, the highest density and diversity of metazoan taxa are found in dead coral and rubble, but the energy stored in rubble is mainly accessible to small individuals, limiting its availability to higher trophic levels.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Carolina Castro-Sanguino, Yves-Marie Bozec, Scott A. Condie, Cameron S. Fletcher, Karlo Hock, Chris Roelfsema, David A. Westcott, Peter J. Mumby
Summary: CoTS outbreaks on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia have caused significant damage to coral ecosystems. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the current CoTS control program and suggests increasing control efforts to ensure coral persistence in the face of climate change impacts.
Article
Biology
Liam Lachs, Adriana Humanes, Daniel R. Pygas, John C. Bythell, Peter J. Mumby, Renata Ferrari, Will F. Figueira, Elizabeth Beauchamp, Holly K. East, Alasdair J. Edwards, Yimnang Golbuu, Helios M. Martinez, Brigitte Sommer, Eveline van der Steeg, James R. Guest
Summary: As marine species adapt to climate change, their heat tolerance will be under strong selection, but trade-offs between heat tolerance and other traits may compromise adaptation. The study focused on reef-building corals and found no trade-offs between heat tolerance and fecundity or growth. Surprisingly, faster-growing corals tended to bleach and die at higher levels of heat stress. Overall, this suggests that some high-performing corals excel across multiple traits and trade-offs may not be major barriers to adaptation or evolution interventions.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Laura L. Griffiths, Joel Williams, Christina A. Buelow, Vivitskaia J. Tulloch, Mischa P. Turschwell, Max D. Campbell, David Harasti, Rod M. Connolly, Christopher J. Brown
Summary: The coastal environment is subjected to threats from marine, land, and atmosphere, but the current linear approach to assessing the impact of threats may be misleading due to the nonlinear relationships between threats and species. Using a data-driven approach, this study explored the nonlinear relationships between threats and a temperate reef fish community and quantified the associations among threats and fish abundances. The findings highlight the importance of considering cumulative threats and implementing appropriate management actions to address them.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Elizabeth Buccheri, Gerard F. Ricardo, Russell C. Babcock, Peter J. Mumby, Christopher Doropoulos
Summary: This study investigated the sensitivity of coral reproduction to changes in sperm concentration and contact time between gametes. The results showed that fertilisation was most successful at high sperm concentrations and longer contact times, with variations between different coral species.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Liam Lachs, Simon D. D. Donner, Peter J. J. Mumby, John C. C. Bythell, Adriana Humanes, Holly K. K. East, James R. R. Guest
Summary: Recurrent mass bleaching events pose a threat to coral reefs and their future. However, this study suggests that the thermal tolerance of coral assemblages in a remote Pacific coral reef system has been increasing, leading to less severe bleaching impacts. Future climate projections indicate that further increases in thermal tolerance could substantially reduce bleaching trajectories, highlighting the importance of reducing carbon emissions.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Nabeela Nasim, Shylett Anthony, Thompson Daurewa, Sikeli Gavidi, Pierre Horwitz, Aaron Jenkins, Stacy Jupiter, Shuang Liu, Kinikoto Mailautoka, Sangeeta Mangubhai, Kelera Naivalu, Timoci Naivalulevu, Vilisi Naivalulevu, Sikeli Naucunivanua, Joel Negin, Mereia Ravoka, Andrew Tukana, Donald Wilson, Jacqueline Thomas
Summary: Rural communities in Fiji rely on on-site sanitation systems, which have been found to be unsafe and contribute to faecal-oral diseases. This study aimed to assess the safety of existing sanitation infrastructure and estimate the proportion of safely managed systems. The findings revealed discrepancies between self-reported back-end category and actual observations, highlighting the need for improved sanitation practices.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE-WATER RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Christopher J. Brown, Chantal Saint Ange, Rod M. Connolly, Syezlin Hasan, Sue Jackson, Joseph M. McMahon, James C. R. Smart
Summary: There is a need for long-term monitoring of interconnected ecosystems to inform management strategies and track changes in ecosystem services. This study tested the performance of indicators of ecosystem services and found that they can assess historical performance over decadal timespans but may not be suitable for short-term monitoring.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Megan S. Adams, Vivitskaia J. D. Tulloch, Jessie Hemphill, Briony Penn, Leya T. Anderson, Kate Davis, Stephanie Avery-Gomm, Alex Harris, Tara G. Martin
Summary: The cumulative impacts of human activities and natural disturbance are leading to loss and extinction of species, communities, and biocultural connections. However, the exclusion of Indigenous knowledge holders in assessing these effects often results in conflicts and ineffective management. By prioritizing inclusivity and reciprocity, and respecting Indigenous sovereignty, a collaborative process was developed with the participation of Kitasoo Xai'xais, Nuxalk, and Wuikinuxv First Nations. Through expert elicitation and data-driven approaches, current and future cumulative impacts were identified and mapped, providing insights for effective management of these effects.