Abstract
Ocean acidification, climate change, and other environmental stressors threaten coral reef ecosystems and the people who depend upon them. New science reveals that these multiple stressors interact and may affect a multitude of physiological and ecological processes in complex ways. The interaction of multiple stressors and ecological complexity may mean that the negative effects on coral reef ecosystems will happen sooner and be more severe than previously thought. Yet, most research on the effects of global change on coral reefs focus on one or few stressors, pathways or outcomes (e.g., bleaching). Based on a critical review of the literature, we call for a regionally targeted strategy of mesocosm-level research that addresses this complexity and provides more realistic projections about coral reef impacts in the face of global environmental change. We believe similar approaches are needed for other ecosystems that face global environmental change.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Article number | 36 |
| Journal | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| Volume | 3 |
| Issue number | MAR |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2016 |
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Keywords
- Climate change
- Coral reefs
- Mesocosm-level research
- Multiple stressors
- Ocean acidification
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Oceanography
- Global and Planetary Change
- Water Science and Technology
- Ocean Engineering
- Aquatic Science
Cite this
Multiple stressors and ecological complexity require a new approach to coral reef research. / Pendleton, Linwood H.; Hoegh-Guldberg, Ove; Langdon, Chris; Comte, Adrien.
In: Frontiers in Marine Science, Vol. 3, No. MAR, 36, 2016.Research output: Contribution to journal › Short survey
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Multiple stressors and ecological complexity require a new approach to coral reef research
AU - Pendleton, Linwood H.
AU - Hoegh-Guldberg, Ove
AU - Langdon, Chris
AU - Comte, Adrien
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - Ocean acidification, climate change, and other environmental stressors threaten coral reef ecosystems and the people who depend upon them. New science reveals that these multiple stressors interact and may affect a multitude of physiological and ecological processes in complex ways. The interaction of multiple stressors and ecological complexity may mean that the negative effects on coral reef ecosystems will happen sooner and be more severe than previously thought. Yet, most research on the effects of global change on coral reefs focus on one or few stressors, pathways or outcomes (e.g., bleaching). Based on a critical review of the literature, we call for a regionally targeted strategy of mesocosm-level research that addresses this complexity and provides more realistic projections about coral reef impacts in the face of global environmental change. We believe similar approaches are needed for other ecosystems that face global environmental change.
AB - Ocean acidification, climate change, and other environmental stressors threaten coral reef ecosystems and the people who depend upon them. New science reveals that these multiple stressors interact and may affect a multitude of physiological and ecological processes in complex ways. The interaction of multiple stressors and ecological complexity may mean that the negative effects on coral reef ecosystems will happen sooner and be more severe than previously thought. Yet, most research on the effects of global change on coral reefs focus on one or few stressors, pathways or outcomes (e.g., bleaching). Based on a critical review of the literature, we call for a regionally targeted strategy of mesocosm-level research that addresses this complexity and provides more realistic projections about coral reef impacts in the face of global environmental change. We believe similar approaches are needed for other ecosystems that face global environmental change.
KW - Climate change
KW - Coral reefs
KW - Mesocosm-level research
KW - Multiple stressors
KW - Ocean acidification
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85008951139&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85008951139&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fmars.2016.00036
DO - 10.3389/fmars.2016.00036
M3 - Short survey
AN - SCOPUS:85008951139
VL - 3
JO - Frontiers in Marine Science
JF - Frontiers in Marine Science
SN - 2296-7745
IS - MAR
M1 - 36
ER -