Coral Bleaching & Local Ecological Responses
our understanding of current and
future impacts of global climate

change on coral reefs is relatively
limited. However, we have now
documented a steady increase
Philippines,
in the frequency of elevated sea
Area,
surface temperature anomalies
ch Update
and the often-resulting coral reef
bleaching at large spatial scales.
improving our knowledge of the
mechanisms, ecological outcomes
and economic ramifications of
such impacts has been identified
Rosell
as a priority for many coral reef
K.
countries. This is critical if we are
Photo:
to accurately project how the
health of coral reefs and coastal
environs might be impacted as the
result of climate change. gaining
Coral bleaching within the Basdiot Marine Protected
summer 2006.
Resear
this information will be critical
for planning strategies designed
improving the scientific basis
Working Group Members
to stem the degradation of coral
upon which management
ove Hoegh-guldberg
reefs and associated marine
responses will be developed as
Centre for Marine Studies, The
habitats, and the socio-economic
the climate warms and carbonate
University of Queensland, Australia
benefits that these provide to reef-
ion concentrations in our oceans
Yossi Loya
Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv
The Coral Reef Targeted Research &
dependent communities.
decline. These themes are:
Capacity Building for Management
University, israel
Program (CRTR) is a leading
We also need to understand the
· Coral-symbiont responses
Robert van Woesik
international coral reef research
initiative that provides a coordinated
cost of climate change, especially
to thermal stress
Department of Biological Sciences,
approach to credible, factual and
the relative cost of measures aimed
Florida institute of Technology, USA
· Organismal mechanisms
scientifically-proven knowledge for
improved coral reef management.
at mitigating the impact associated
Tim McClanahan
to ecological outcomes
Wildlife Conservation Society, kenya
with climate change. our
The CRTR Program is a proactive
· Biomarkers of stress
understanding will also be critical
Roberto iglesias-prieto
research and capacity building
instituto de Ciencias del Mar y
partnership that aims to lay the
in assessing the pros and cons
· Projections of change and
Limnología, Universidad nacional
foundation in filling crucial knowledge
of different strategies regarding
socio-economic impact
Autónoma de México
gaps in the core research areas of Coral
Bleaching, Connectivity, Coral Diseases,
energy use and the adoption of
The Bleaching Working group
Ruth gates
Coral Restoration and Remediation,
new forms of energy.
is one of the most prominent
Hawaii institute of Marine Biology,
Remote Sensing and Modeling and
University of Hawaii, USA
Decision Support.
groups working on the impacts of
Wo
The Bleaching Working Group global warming on coral reefs and
Michael Lesser

Each of these research areas are
Department of Zoology, University
facilitated by Working Groups
The CRTR Bleaching Working
continues to bring together and
of new Hampshire, USA
underpinned by the skills of many of the
R
group is focused on filling critical
lead research efforts in the area
David obura
world's leading coral reef researchers.
king
The CRTR also supports four Centers of
information gaps with respect to
of coral bleaching and ecological
CoRDio East Africa, kenya
Excellence in priority regions, serving as
coral bleaching and mortality with
change research. key outcomes
John Bythell
important regional centers for building
confidence and skills in research,
the aim of supporting management from the group in the past
Department of Marine Sciences
training and capacity building.
responses for the coming century
year include:
and Coastal Management,
University of newcastle, Uk
gR
The CRTR Program is a partnership
of climate change.
between the Global Environment
Dynamics of coral populations Ron Johnstone
The Bleaching Working group
Centre for Marine Studies,
Facility, the World Bank, The University
under environmental change
The University of Queensland,
o
of Queensland (Australia), the
has identified four major research
United States National Oceanic and
The group has made significant
Australia
U
themes where it is currently
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and
approximately 50 research institutes and
progress on ecological and
Christian Wild
p
focusing its efforts. These themes
geoBio Center, Ludwig-Maximilians
other third parties around the world.
are interconnected and aimed at
environmental monitoring.
Universitat, germany
July 2008
Product code: CRTR 006/2008

---

Eighteen sites have now being
susceptibility among corals and
Tools for Management
set up at four regional Centers
their symbionts. The group is
The group has produced a number
of Excellence in the philippines,
preparing a paper that will describe of tools or findings relevant to
Zanzibar, Mexico and Australia
1600 gene products. This is a
managers and policy-makers
­ to establish an integrated
very important step forward as
that will have significance for
understanding of coral reef
Working group members are now
understanding and responding
processes that influence
focusing on a number of projects
to mass coral bleaching.
population dynamics and the
looking at genetic responses of
state of coral reefs.
corals to stress, which has become
Among such tools are:
a key issue of discussion among
· Colour cards to monitor coral
scientists. it is also a world-first as
bleaching: colour cards have
no other cDnA libraries of the key
been produced in partnership
symbiont inhabiting reef-building
with The University of
corals have been published.
Queensland to monitor coral
bleaching across reefs. ngos,
Geographical diversity of
tourist companies and reef
Symbiodinium
enthusiasts in Australia and
Research into the geographical
several other countries are
diversity of Symbiodinium
now using these cards.
has found different strains in
approximately 800 coral species
from Zanzibar, Thailand and
surrounding regions. Early results
from DnA extractions, pCR-DggE
analyses and DnA sequencing of
the 550 coral samples from the
under-studied Thailand region
indicate many new and unusual
Dr. L. David and PhD student Victor Ticzon examine observed bleaching in
coral-algae symbioses. While a
Balingasay Reef, Bolinao, Philippines. Photo: Yanneck Meunier
definitive assessment of how water
Fundamental mechanisms of
quality affects these associations
coral bleaching
is premature, many of the same
species of symbiont are being
progress on understanding the
found at mainland and island
fundamental mechanisms of coral
locations. A conspicuous feature
bleaching has now progressed
of the region is the occurrence
to a point where the group is
Bleached corals, southern Great Barrier Reef, Australia.
of a `clade D' species (a group of
developing a synoptic review. This
Photo: Ove Hoegh-Guldberg
biological taxa that appears to be
work will summarise the advances
· Members of the Bleaching
in this research area from the past
Working group contributed to
three to five years.
A Reef Manager's Guide to Coral
Effects of bleaching on coral
Bleaching which brings together
and fish communities in the
the latest scientific knowledge
and management experience to
western Indian Ocean
assist managers in responding
Further Information
Excellent progress has been made
effectively to mass coral
Coral Bleaching and Local Ecological
with the compilation of the indian
bleaching events.
Responses Working Group
ocean coral cover data coming
· `The Carbon Crisis: Coral Reefs
Chair: Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg
to completion. in addition, a
under Rapid Climate Change':
The University of Queensland, Australia
compilation of all species lists of
Email: oveh@uq.edu.au
This article was produced by the
corals in the indian ocean has
CRTR and published in Science
Co-Chair: Professor Yossi Loya
been completed. The group is
Tel Aviv University, Israel
Magazine in December 2007.
Email: yosiloya@post.tau.ac.il
now working to analyse coral cover, A butterflyfish picks at the tips of the delicate coral
it provides a comprehensive
rates of mortality and numbers of
Seriatopora, a species very susceptible to bleaching,
message highlighting the urgent
Project Executing Agency
western Indian Ocean. Photo: Tim McClanahan
Coral Reef Targeted Research & Capacity
taxa to determine the priority reefs
action required to protect coral
Building for Management Program
in this region.
thermally tolerant) whose presence
reefs from rising concentrations
C/- Centre for Marine Studies
The University of Queensland
Functional diversity of
is not restricted to turbid inshore
of carbon dioxide in the Earth's
St Lucia QLD 4072
areas as previously thought, but
atmosphere.
Australia
Symbiodinium
which is also found on offshore
on a broader policy front, the
Telephone: +61 7 3346 9942
The group is examining
islands where water clarity is
Facsimile: +67 7 3365 4755
the functional diversity of
research being produced by the
greater.
Email: info@gefcoral.org
Symbiodinium (the algal symbiont
group is confirming the extreme
in reef-building corals) and its role
threat that unrestrained global
in explaining differences in stress
warming and ocean acidification
hold for the world's coral reefs.

---