Abstract
Shallow water coral reefs and deep sea coral communities are sensitive to current and future environmental stresses, such as changes in sea surface temperatures (SST), salinity, carbonate chemistry, and acidity. Over the last half-century, some reef communities have been disappearing at an alarming pace. This study focuses on the Gulf of Mexico, where the majority of shallow coral reefs are reported to be in poor or fair condition. We analyze the RCP8.5 ensemble of the Community Earth System Model v1.2 to identify monthly-to-decadal trends in mean Gulf of Mexico SST. Secondly, we examine projected changes in ocean pH, carbonate saturation state, and salinity in the same coupled model simulations. We find that the joint impacts of predicted higher temperatures and changes in ocean acidification will severely degrade Gulf of Mexico reef systems by the end of the 21st century. SSTs are likely to warm by 2.5 to 3C; while corals do show signs of an ability to evolve toward higher temperatures, current coral species and reef systems are likely to suffer major bleaching events in coming years. We contextualize future changes with ancient reefs from paleoclimate analogues, periods of Earth's past that were also exceptionally warm, specifically rapid ``hyperthermal events. Ancient analogue events are often associated with extinctions, reef collapse, and significant ecological changes, yet reef communities managed to survive these events on evolutionary timescales. Finally, we review research which discusses the adaptive potential of the Gulf of Mexico's coral reefs, meccas of biodiversity and oceanic health. We assert that the only guaranteed solution for long-term conservation and recovery is substantial, rapid reduction of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions.
Highlights
Coral Reefs constitute some of the most biodiverse ecosystems in Earth’s oceans
We address the question: what changes in climate and ocean chemistry will influence the corals and reef systems in the Gulf of Mexico? We hypothesize that new model simulations confirm that the GoM will warm and acidify such that substantial coral bleaching will occur
To build a Gulf of Mexico-centric forecast of the various conditions that interfere with coral reef health over the several decades, we evaluated simulations from the Community Earth System Model version 1.2 (CESM) (Kay et al, 2015)
Summary
Coral Reefs constitute some of the most biodiverse ecosystems in Earth’s oceans. They are critical to the socioeconomic health of 500 million people globally, providing billions of dollars in tourism and food sources for island and coastal communities (Frieler et al, 2013). Research shows that Gulf corals are stressed when SSTs approach 31◦C; today, summertime temperatures frequently reach 30◦C in the Florida Keys and Veracruz These simulations suggest that more than 50% of coral reefs globally will undergo frequent and severe thermal stress by the year 2080 (Donner et al, 2005). For this special issue on GoM coral reef systems, we zero in on climate change in the GoM and future threats to the region’s reef ecosystems. We discuss the future of GoM reefs in the Anthropocene, and provide a preview of the threats these ecosystems will soon face in this particular region
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