August 30, 2019

Refugee Corals

Listen Later

2 minutes

As climate change warms the ocean, subtropical environments are becoming more favorable for corals than the equatorial waters where they traditionally thrived. As a result, drifting coral larvae are settling and growing in new regions.

According to new research in the journal Marine Ecology Progress

Series, the number of young corals on tropical reefs has declined by 85%

over the past 40 years. At the same time,

the numbers on subtropical reefs has doubled.

Only certain types of coral can reach these new subtropical

locations. That depends on how far the

microscopic larvae can swim and drift on currents before they exhaust their

limited fat stores. Thus, the reef

ecosystems that develop have new blends of species that have previously never

coexisted. It is not clear how long it

will take for the new systems to reach equilibrium.

Coral reefs are complicated systems that depend on the interplay

between species to enable their healthy functioning. Apart from the corals themselves, there are

the coraline algae that symbiotically coexist with them. How all of this will play out in these

evolving ecosystems is unknown.

In the meantime, the research has found that these refugee corals are

settling at latitudes up to 35 degrees both north and south of the

equator. It is no longer so clear what

constitute native species in the reefs.

It remains to be seen whether new reefs in subtropical oceans can

support the incredible biodiversity seen in tropical reefs. But ultimately, these changing ecosystems

could potentially bring new resources and opportunities, such as fishing and

tourism, to places where they never existed before.

**********

Web Links

Coral Reefs Shifting Away from Equatorial Waters

Photo, posted March 22, 2011, courtesy of Simone Lovati via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

...more

View all episodes

View all episodes

Download on the App Store

Download on the App Store

Get it on Google Play

Earth Wise

By Randy Simon

4.7

1515 ratings

August 30, 2019

Refugee Corals

Listen Later

2 minutes

As climate change warms the ocean, subtropical environments are becoming more favorable for corals than the equatorial waters where they traditionally thrived. As a result, drifting coral larvae are settling and growing in new regions.

According to new research in the journal Marine Ecology Progress

Series, the number of young corals on tropical reefs has declined by 85%

over the past 40 years. At the same time,

the numbers on subtropical reefs has doubled.

Only certain types of coral can reach these new subtropical

locations. That depends on how far the

microscopic larvae can swim and drift on currents before they exhaust their

limited fat stores. Thus, the reef

ecosystems that develop have new blends of species that have previously never

coexisted. It is not clear how long it

will take for the new systems to reach equilibrium.

Coral reefs are complicated systems that depend on the interplay

between species to enable their healthy functioning. Apart from the corals themselves, there are

the coraline algae that symbiotically coexist with them. How all of this will play out in these

evolving ecosystems is unknown.

In the meantime, the research has found that these refugee corals are

settling at latitudes up to 35 degrees both north and south of the

equator. It is no longer so clear what

constitute native species in the reefs.

It remains to be seen whether new reefs in subtropical oceans can

support the incredible biodiversity seen in tropical reefs. But ultimately, these changing ecosystems

could potentially bring new resources and opportunities, such as fishing and

tourism, to places where they never existed before.

**********

Web Links

Coral Reefs Shifting Away from Equatorial Waters

Photo, posted March 22, 2011, courtesy of Simone Lovati via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

...more