Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Michael D. Fox, Anne L. Cohen, Randi D. Rotjan, Sangeeta Mangubhai, Stuart A. Sandin, Jennifer E. Smith, Simon R. Thorrold, Laura Dissly, Nathan R. Mollica, David Obura
Summary: Global ocean warming has led to declines in coral reefs, but research in the central equatorial Pacific suggests that selective mortality during recurrent heatwaves may help coral communities adapt to future warming. Identifying and facilitating conditions for coral survival and recovery are crucial steps towards successful stewardship of coral reefs in the 21st century climate change.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Wenhui Zhao, Yi Huang, Steven Siems, Michael Manton
Summary: The study revealed a significant negative correlation between total cloud cover anomaly (TCCA) and lagged sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) in the Great Barrier Reef region, which is greater in magnitude and spatial extent compared to the SSTA-ENSO correlation. This suggests that local-scale reduced cloud cover plays a crucial role in the formation of warm shallow water and occurrence of thermal coral bleaching events in the region.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Andrew F. Torres, Darryl Anthony M. Valino, Rachel Ravago-Gotanco
Summary: This study investigated the diversity and distribution of coral-zooxanthellae associations in the Philippine archipelago, considering geospatial patterns of sea surface temperature and thermal anomalies. By analyzing samples from different coral families, it was observed that there were variations in zooxanthellae compositions across different biogeographical regions, reflecting host-specific responses to environmental gradients. The findings provide insights into the adaptability and resilience of coral communities in complex geographic and oceanographic regions, particularly in the face of increasing stressors.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Remote Sensing
Idham Khalil, Aidy M. Muslim, Mohammad Shawkat Hossain, Peter M. Atkinson
Summary: This research explores the potential consequences of Sea Surface Temperature (SST) warming on the ecosystems of the Indo-Pacific (IP) region, specifically on coral bleaching. The findings predict widespread coral bleaching in many places in the IP region over the next 30 years, posing a significant threat to the marine environment.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF REMOTE SENSING
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Allia Rosedy, Isabel Ives, Zarinah Waheed, Muhammad Ali Syed Hussein, Sindia Sosdian, Kenneth Johnson, Nadia Santodomingo
Summary: The impacts of climate change are becoming more evident, but turbid reefs have shown inherent resilience to heat stress events, mitigating the effects of climate change.
REGIONAL STUDIES IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Santosh K. Shah, Max Berkelhammer, Qiang Li, Nivedita Mehrotra, Lamginsang Thomte, Richard Shell, Uttam Pandey, Narayan P. Gaire, Gayatri Kathayat, Ashish Sinha
Summary: The precipitation in the Kumaun-Gharwal Himalaya is regulated by the Indian summer monsoon and has been declining over the last century. By analyzing a 508-year tree-ring stable oxygen isotope record, it was found that the drought intensity has intensified in recent decades.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Oceanography
Yuntao Wang, Jin Liu, Hailong Liu, Pengfei Lin, Yeping Yuan, Fei Chai
Summary: Satellite observations over fifteen years have been used to study sea surface temperature and frontal activities in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The results show that frontal activities are mainly influenced by wind forces, with strong activities near the coast decreasing offshore. Seasonal cycles dominate the variability of SST frontal probability in coastal regions, while large interannual variability is seen in the tropics.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-OCEANS
(2021)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Xinru Xie, Shijie Zhou, Jiayu Zhang, Ping Huang
Summary: The study utilized atmospheric model experiments to analyze the mechanisms of ENSO-driven rainfall changes under global warming, revealing the crucial role of background SST changes in influencing ENSO rainfall, with dynamic and thermodynamic components playing key roles in controlling the structure and amplitude of ENSO rainfall changes. The results suggest that background SST changes, particularly in the form of El Niño-like warming patterns, dominate the patterns of ENSO rainfall changes and low-level specific humidity plays a key role in influencing the vertical transport of moist static energy and subsequent ENSO rainfall changes.
ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Yue Chen, Ping Huang
Summary: This study analyzes the simulation of subsurface temperature decadal variability (TPDV) in the tropical Pacific of 26 CMIP6 models. The ENSO-like and ENSO-induced TPDVs show a high consistency in the subsurface, while the ENSO-induced TPDV in the subsurface has two distinct patterns among the models, with one centered in the central Pacific and the other showing a zonal dipole in the equatorial Pacific. The zonal pattern of the ENSO-induced TPDV in the subsurface is mainly induced by the SST skewness in the equatorial eastern Pacific, which is related to the surface heat flux feedback during La Nina.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Dmitry Mukhin, Andrey Gavrilov, Aleksei Seleznev, Maria Buyanova
Summary: Recent studies suggest that Pacific atmospheric circulation anomalies in winter-spring may impact summer tropical climate via SST footprinting. Researchers have inferred an index based on sea level pressure data surrounding Hawaii and constructed a statistically optimal linear model of the Nino 3.4 index with this atmospheric index as a forcing, leading to significant improvements in interseasonal Nino 3.4 forecasts by efficiently lowering the spring predictability barrier.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Sara C. Sanchez, Gregory J. Hakim, Casey P. Saenger
Summary: This study combines coral archives with models to reconstruct the temperature changes in the tropical Pacific. It finds discrepancies in coral records between the southwestern Pacific and the eastern Pacific during a period of frequent volcanic activity in the early nineteenth century.
JOURNAL OF CLIMATE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Daigard Ricardo Ortega Rodriguez, Rail Sanchez-Salguero, Andrea Hevia, Daniela Granato-Souza, Bruno B. L. Cintra, Bruna Hornink, Laia Andreu-Hayles, Gabriel Assis-Pereira, Fidel A. Roig, Mario Tomazello-Filho
Summary: The analysis and reconstruction of climate variability in tropical forests using tree-ring records have been increasing. This study assesses the potential of using wood traits such as density and chemical concentrations, in addition to ring width, stable oxygen isotope, sulfur and calcium concentrations, to study climate variability in the Amazon region. The results show that a multi-proxy tropical tree-ring approach can provide reliable reconstructions of climate variability over the Amazon basin.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zhuolun Meng, Amanda Williams, Pinky Liau, Timothy G. Stephens, Crawford Drury, Eric N. Chiles, Xiaoyang Su, Mehdi Javanmard, Debashish Bhattacharya
Summary: This study utilized medical grade urinalysis strips to detect disease markers in stressed coral samples and developed a 3D printed smartphone holder and image processing software to generate color scores for assessing coral health. The findings provide field deployable methods using inexpensive tools and freely available software for evaluating reef health.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kalyan De, Mandar Nanajkar, Sambhaji Mote, Baban Ingole
Summary: This study reveals the negative impact of consecutive thermal bleaching events and local stressors on marginal coral reef habitats, leading to a significant decline in coral cover and an increase in algal dominance. The results emphasize the importance of mitigating local stressors and implementing global efforts to address climate change in order to protect these unique coral reefs.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Ben Tian, Hong-Li Ren
Summary: The predictability of El Nino-South Oscillation using an operational prediction model is diagnosed in this study. It is found that ENSO forecasts are more challenging during the developing phase compared to the decay phase. A large area of negative SST errors in the central and eastern tropical Pacific limits the model's skill in predicting the intensity of El Nino. Targeted observations are needed to improve operational forecasts of ENSO.
ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jamie M. Caldwell, Greta Aeby, Scott F. Heron, Megan J. Donahue
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2020)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Lauric Thiault, Matthew I. Curnock, Georgina G. Gurney, Scott F. Heron, Nadine A. Marshall, Erin Bohensky, Nao Nakamura, Petina L. Pert, Joachim Claudet
Summary: The study found that stakeholders' perceptions of threats related to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia tended to align after consecutive years of mass coral bleaching events. Climate change emerged as the most frequently reported threat by all stakeholder groups, followed by concerns about fishing and poor water quality. Additionally, there was a convergence in threat prioritization within and across stakeholder groups after the bleaching events, indicating new opportunities for strategic public engagement and management support.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Austin Greene, William Leggat, Megan J. Donahue, Aurie J. Raymundo, Jamie M. Caldwell, Tess Moriarty, Scott F. Heron, Tracy D. Ainsworth
METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2020)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Robert A. B. Mason, William J. Skirving, Sophie G. Dove
REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT
(2020)
Article
Environmental Sciences
William Skirving, Benjamin Marsh, Jacqueline De la Cour, Gang Liu, Andy Harris, Eileen Maturi, Erick Geiger, C. Mark Eakin
Editorial Material
Environmental Sciences
William Skirving, Andrew Pomeroy, Robert McCall, John Marra, Curt Storlazzi
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Austin Greene, Megan J. Donahue, Jamie M. Caldwell, Scott F. Heron, Erick Geiger, Laurie J. Raymundo
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2020)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Liam Lachs, John C. Bythell, Holly K. East, Alasdair J. Edwards, Peter J. Mumby, William J. Skirving, Blake L. Spady, James R. Guest
Summary: Increasingly intense marine heatwaves threaten marine ecosystems, with mass coral bleaching causing catastrophic coral mortality. Fine-tuning coral bleaching prediction algorithms can improve accuracy of predictions and reduce detrimental impacts on coral reefs.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jennifer K. McWhorter, Paul R. Halloran, George Roff, William J. Skirving, Chris T. Perry, Peter J. Mumby
Summary: The study found that limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius can significantly reduce thermal stress events on the Great Barrier Reef, positively impacting its ecosystem health. However, if greenhouse gas emissions continue, coral reefs will face even more severe thermal stress, leading to adverse impacts in the future.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
William Leggat, Scott F. Heron, Alexander Fordyce, David J. Suggett, Tracy D. Ainsworth
Summary: Despite decades of research into coral bleaching, a standardized metric for comparing ecological observations and experimental simulations is still lacking. The introduction of the experimental Degree Heating Week (eDHW) metric aims to standardize the variable thermal conditions employed in experimental studies of coral bleaching.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jennifer K. McWhorter, Paul R. Halloran, George Roff, William J. Skirving, Peter J. Mumby
Summary: Increases in warm seawater temperatures are causing mass coral mortality events. However, some reefs act as potential refugia, escaping severe stress. This study identifies climate refugia on the Great Barrier Reef and predicts their persistence into the future. It is found that certain reef locations experience the least thermal stress due to their oceanographic circumstances, providing potential relief from warming until global warming exceeds approximately 3 degrees C.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Riccardo Losciale, Rachel Hay, Michael Rasheed, Scott Heron
Summary: Seagrass meadows, one of the world's greatest natural assets, are declining globally due to human activities and climate change. However, there is a lack of public awareness about the importance of seagrasses, especially in comparison to coral reefs. It is crucial to enhance public understanding of seagrasses and their vulnerability to climate change.
ENVIRONMENTAL DEVELOPMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Gerry Giliant Salamena, Scott F. Heron, Peter V. Ridd, James C. Whinney
Summary: This study conducted the first implementation of environmental risk assessment (ERA) on marine plastic accumulation in the water body of small islands in the Indonesian Coral Triangle region. The study found that the flushing time of Ambon Bay was 1-1.5 weeks, with higher risks and vulnerabilities in the inner and inshore areas compared to the mid and offshore areas. The findings of this study can be informative for other embayments in Indonesia's Coral Triangle region.
REGIONAL STUDIES IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Riccardo Losciale, Jon Day, Scott Heron
Summary: Climate change poses a increasing threat to World Heritage sites and their associated communities, particularly in relation to seagrass habitats. However, there is a lack of research on the value, conservation status, and climate change impacts on seagrass within these sites.
CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Gundula Winter, Curt Storlazzi, Sean Vitousek, Ap van Dongeren, Robert McCall, Ron Hoeke, William Skirving, John Marra, Johan Reyns, Jerome Aucan, Matthew Widlansky, Janet Becker, Chris Perry, Gerd Masselink, Ryan Lowe, Murray Ford, Andrew Pomeroy, Fernando Mendez, Ana Rueda, Moritz Wandres
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2020)