Integrating environmental variability to broaden the research on coral responses to future ocean conditions. (3rd September 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ziegler, Maren; Anton, Andrea; Klein, Shannon G.; Rädecker, Nils; Geraldi, Nathan R.; Schmidt‐Roach, Sebastian; Saderne, Vincent; Mumby, Peter J.; Cziesielski, Maha J.; Martin, Cecilia; Frölicher, Thomas L.; Pandolfi, John M.; Suggett, David J.; Aranda, Manuel; Duarte, Carlos M.; Voolstra, Christian R.
• Is Part Of: Global change biology. Volume 27:Number 21(2021)
• Page Start: 5532
• Page End: 5546
• Publication Date: 2021-09-03
• Subjects: climate change experiments -- coral reef -- environmental variability -- heatwaves -- in‐situ buoy data -- pCO2 -- temperature; Climatic changes -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Troposphere -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Biodiversity conservation -- Periodicals; Eutrophication -- Periodicals; 551.5
• DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15840
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1354-1013

Abstract

Abstract: Our understanding of the response of reef‐building corals to changes in their physical environment is largely based on laboratory experiments, analysis of long‐term field data, and model projections. Experimental data provide unique insights into how organisms respond to variation of environmental drivers. However, an assessment of how well experimental conditions cover the breadth of environmental conditions and variability where corals live successfully is missing. Here, we compiled and analyzed a globally distributed dataset of in‐situ seasonal and diurnal variability of key environmental drivers (temperature, p CO2, and O2 ) critical for the growth and livelihood of reef‐building corals. Using a meta‐analysis approach, we compared the variability of environmental conditions assayed in coral experimental studies to current and projected conditions in their natural habitats. We found that annual temperature profiles projected for the end of the 21st century were characterized by distributional shifts in temperatures with warmer winters and longer warm periods in the summer, not just peak temperatures. Furthermore, short‐term hourly fluctuations of temperature and p CO2 may regularly expose corals to conditions beyond the projected average increases for the end of the 21st century. Coral reef sites varied in the degree of coupling between temperature, p CO2, and dissolved O2, which warrants site‐specific, differentiated experimental approaches depending on the local hydrography and influence of biological processes on the carbonate system and O2 availability. Our analysis highlights that a large portion of the natural environmental variability at short and long timescales is underexplored in experimental designs, which may provide a path to extend our understanding on the response of corals to global climate change. Abstract : In this study, a globally distributed dataset of in‐situ coral reef seasonal and diurnal variability of key environmental drivers (temperature, p CO2, and O2 ) and their future projections was compared to the variability of environmental conditions assayed in experiments. Annual temperature profiles in the reef for 2081–2100 were characterized by distributional shifts. The majority of treatments applied temperatures above +2°C to mimic end‐of‐century conditions under a high emission scenario. A large portion of the natural environmental variability at short and long timescales is underexplored in experimental designs.