Evidence for managing herbivores for reef resilience.

Herbivore management is an important tool for resilience-based approaches to coral reef conservation, and evidence-based science is needed to enact successful management. We synthesized data from multiple monitoring programs in Hawai'i to measure herbivore biomass and benthic condition over a 10-year period preceding any major coral bleaching. We analysed data from 20 242 transects alongside data on 27 biophysical and human drivers and found herbivore biomass was highly variable throughout Hawai'i, with high values in remote locations and the lowest values near population centres. Both human and biophysical drivers explained variation in herbivore biomass, and among the human drivers both fishing and land-based pollution had negative effects on biomass. We also found evidence that herbivore functional group biomass is strongly linked to benthic condition, and that benthic condition is sensitive to changes in herbivore biomass associated with fishing. We show that when herbivore biomass is below 80% of potential biomass, benthic condition is predicted to decline. We also show that a range of management actions, including area-specific fisheries regulations and gear restrictions, can increase parrotfish biomass. Together, these results provide lines of evidence to support managing herbivores as an effective strategy for maintaining or bolstering reef resilience in a changing climate.

Shifting away from the business-as-usual approach to research conferences.

To combat the climate crisis, we need rapid, unprecedented social change. Scientists can play a lead role by signaling to society that we recognize the critical importance of redesigning our business-as-usual approach to research conferences. Traditional research conferences have high CO2 emissions as well as significant financial and travel time costs for participants. Using available technology, early career scientists Chelsie Counsell and Franziska Elmer created a global, virtual, coral reef research conference with live talks, recorded contributions, and networking events. Funding from The Company of Biologists allowed this event to be free, supporting attendance of 2700 subscribers and content contributions from 165 participants from diverse backgrounds and career stages. We provide metrics on content viewership and participation in networking activities, note the success of incorporating regionally focused sub-events, and discuss the emergence of a collaborative research project. We highlight the broad accessibility of virtual conferences as well as their increased flexibility in programming, health benefits, and cost savings. Our approach to organizing and hosting a global, low-carbon emission research conference is documented. Finally, we propose a hybrid approach to future conferences with virtually connected remote (sub-regional or local) hubs.