Physiological Responses of Coral Reef Species to Emerging Threats of Anthropogenic Climate Change

Abstract

Anthropogenic climate change is a threat to countless species and ecosystems around the world, including the coral reefs. Coral Reefs provide habitat to hundreds of thousands of species and play a big role in maintaining biological diversity. Unfortunately, around 50-70% of all coral reefs are under direct threat from human activities such as deforestation and overfishing. Major threats to the survival of coral reefs include increasing sea surface temperatures and ocean acidification, as they lead to bleaching and reduction in coral calcification. Due to the rapidly changing climate, conservation efforts should be aimed at protecting species that can tolerate a wide range of temperatures and buffer pH changes. This paper discusses recent research on tolerance and persistence of various species that make up the coral reefs and how this information can be integrated into current conservation practices to better protect the coral reefs.