Are coral reefs victims of their own past success?
Sci Adv
; 2(4): e1500850, 2016 Apr.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-27152330
ABSTRACT
As one of the most prolific and widespread reef builders, the staghorn coral Acropora holds a disproportionately large role in how coral reefs will respond to accelerating anthropogenic change. We show that although Acropora has a diverse history extended over the past 50 million years, it was not a dominant reef builder until the onset of high-amplitude glacioeustatic sea-level fluctuations 1.8 million years ago. High growth rates and propagation by fragmentation have favored staghorn corals since this time. In contrast, staghorn corals are among the most vulnerable corals to anthropogenic stressors, with marked global loss of abundance worldwide. The continued decline in staghorn coral abundance and the mounting challenges from both local stress and climate change will limit the coral reefs' ability to provide ecosystem services.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Ecossistema
/
Antozoários
/
Recifes de Corais
Limite:
Animals
/
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Sci Adv
Ano de publicação:
2016
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Holanda