Abstract
Climate change poses an existential threat to coral reefs. A warmer and more acidic ocean weakens coral ecosystems and increases the intensity of hurricanes. The wind-wave-current interactions during a hurricane deeply change the ocean circulation patterns and hence potentially affect the dispersal of coral larvae and coral disease agents. Here, we modeled the impact of major hurricane Irma (September 2017) on coral larval and stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) connectivity in Florida's Coral Reef. We coupled high-resolution coastal ocean circulation and wave models to simulate the dispersal of virtual coral larvae and disease agents between thousands of reefs. While being a brief event, our results suggest the passage of hurricane Irma strongly increased the probability of long-distance exchanges while reducing larval supply. It created new connections that could promote coral resilience but also probably accelerated the spread of SCTLD by about a month. As they become more intense, hurricanes' double-edged effect will become increasingly pronounced, contributing to increased variability in transport patterns and an accelerated rate of change within coral reef ecosystems.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
