Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
4.4
2.7
Journals
JMSE
Special Issues
Coral Reef Resilience
share announcement

Coral Reef Resilience

A special issue of Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (ISSN 2077-1312). This special issue belongs to the section "Marine Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 July 2019) | Viewed by 44908

Printed Edition Available!
A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Loke Ming Chou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, S2S 18 Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119227, Singapore
Interests: coral reef ecology; reef restoration and conservation; integrated coastal management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Danwei Huang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biological Science, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117558, Singapore
Interests: coral reef ecology; evolution and conservation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The future of coral reefs remains uncertain. Will they be eliminated by anthropogenic pressure and climate change impacts or will they persist as altered states in new global distribution patterns? Studies of coral reef resilience can help to provide a deeper understanding of reef response. 

The pace of research in coral reef resilience has steadily gained momentum. In the latter half of the 1990s, attention was focused on reef degradation caused by over-exploitation and destructive harvesting methods. This gradually shifted to how coral reefs respond to a changing environment caused by coastal urbanization and climate change pressures. Are coral reefs fragile or resilient to these constant but permanent changes and what are the implications for management strategies? What are the implications of high latitude migration of coral and reef-related species? How much do we know of mesophotic reefs and can they serve as reef habitat refugia. 

Research at all levels from molecular to community and habitat responses, as well as spatially extensive and/or long-term monitoring data to detect and understand specific trends relevant to novel management approaches, will remain important. We encourage you to share your findings by contributing to this special volume. If ten or more articles are accepted for publication after the usual review process, a hard copy of the volume will be printed. 

Prof. Loke Ming Chou
Dr. Danwei Huang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Reef resilience
  • Climate change impacts
  • Coastal urbanization impact
  • Reef response
  • Reef degradation
  • Reef community
  • Reef management
  • Monitoring
  • Restoration/rehabilitation

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (7 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review, Other

3 pages, 155 KiB  
Editorial
Towards Coral Reef Resilience
by Loke-Ming Chou and Danwei Huang
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2020, 8(8), 563; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse8080563 - 27 Jul 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2139
Abstract
Coral reef habitats provide valuable ecosystem services which have benefitted human society for millennia, but intense anthropogenic pressure, especially in the latter part of the last century, has resulted in widespread habitat degradation and loss of ecosystem services with severe environmental and societal [...] Read more.
Coral reef habitats provide valuable ecosystem services which have benefitted human society for millennia, but intense anthropogenic pressure, especially in the latter part of the last century, has resulted in widespread habitat degradation and loss of ecosystem services with severe environmental and societal consequences [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Coral Reef Resilience)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review, Other

16 pages, 5364 KiB  
Article
Assessing the Resilience Potential of Inshore and Offshore Coral Communities in the Western Gulf of Thailand
by Makamas Sutthacheep, Charernmee Chamchoy, Sittiporn Pengsakun, Wanlaya Klinthong and Thamasak Yeemin
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2019, 7(11), 408; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse7110408 - 11 Nov 2019
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3898
Abstract
Coral reefs in the Gulf of Thailand have experienced severe coral bleaching events and anthropogenic disturbances during the last two decades. This study assessed the resilience potential of coral communities at Ko Losin offshore reef sites and Mu Ko Chumphon nearshore coral reefs, [...] Read more.
Coral reefs in the Gulf of Thailand have experienced severe coral bleaching events and anthropogenic disturbances during the last two decades. This study assessed the resilience potential of coral communities at Ko Losin offshore reef sites and Mu Ko Chumphon nearshore coral reefs, in the south of Thailand, by conducting field surveys on the live coral cover, hard substratum composition and diversity and density of juvenile corals. Most study sites had higher percentages of live coral cover compared to dead coral cover. Some inshore and offshore reef sites showed low resilience to coral bleaching events. The total densities of juvenile corals at the study sites were in the range of 0.89–3.73 colonies/m2. The density of the juvenile corals at most reef sites was not dependent on the live coral cover of adult colonies in a reef, particularly for the Acropora communities. We suggest that Ko Losin should be established as a marine protected area, and Mu Ko Chumphon National Park should implement its management plans properly to enhance coral recovery and promote marine ecotourism. Other measures, such as shading, should be also applied at some coral reefs during bleaching periods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Coral Reef Resilience)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 2682 KiB  
Article
Coral Resilience at Malauka`a Fringing Reef, Kāneʻohe Bay, Oʻahu after 18 years
by Kelsey A. Barnhill and Keisha D. Bahr
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2019, 7(9), 311; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse7090311 - 6 Sep 2019
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 5815
Abstract
Globally, coral reefs are under threat from climate change and increasingly frequent bleaching events. However, corals in Kāneʻohe Bay, Hawaiʻi have demonstrated the ability to acclimatize and resist increasing temperatures. Benthic cover (i.e., coral, algae, other) was compared over an 18 year period [...] Read more.
Globally, coral reefs are under threat from climate change and increasingly frequent bleaching events. However, corals in Kāneʻohe Bay, Hawaiʻi have demonstrated the ability to acclimatize and resist increasing temperatures. Benthic cover (i.e., coral, algae, other) was compared over an 18 year period (2000 vs. 2018) to estimate species composition changes. Despite a climate change induced 0.96 °C temperature increase and two major bleaching events within the 18-year period, the fringing reef saw no significant change in total coral cover (%) or relative coral species composition in the two dominant reef-building corals, Porites compressa and Montipora capitata. However, the loss of two coral species (Pocillopora meandrina and Porites lobata) and the addition of one new coral species (Leptastrea purpurea) between surveys indicates that while the fringing reef remains intact, a shift in species composition has occurred. While total non-coral substrate cover (%) increased from 2000 to 2018, two species of algae (Gracilaria salicornia and Kappaphycus alvarezii) present in the original survey were absent in 2018. The previously dominant algae Dictyosphaeria spp. significantly decreased in percent cover between surveys. The survival of the studied fringing reef indicates resilience and suggests these Hawaiian corals are capable of acclimatization to climate change and bleaching events. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Coral Reef Resilience)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Editorial, Research, Other

18 pages, 942 KiB  
Review
Thermal Stress and Resilience of Corals in a Climate-Changing World
by Rodrigo Carballo-Bolaños, Derek Soto and Chaolun Allen Chen
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2020, 8(1), 15; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse8010015 - 24 Dec 2019
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 9553
Abstract
Coral reef ecosystems are under the direct threat of increasing atmospheric greenhouse gases, which increase seawater temperatures in the oceans and lead to bleaching events. Global bleaching events are becoming more frequent and stronger, and understanding how corals can tolerate and survive high-temperature [...] Read more.
Coral reef ecosystems are under the direct threat of increasing atmospheric greenhouse gases, which increase seawater temperatures in the oceans and lead to bleaching events. Global bleaching events are becoming more frequent and stronger, and understanding how corals can tolerate and survive high-temperature stress should be accorded paramount priority. Here, we review evidence of the different mechanisms that corals employ to mitigate thermal stress, which include association with thermally tolerant endosymbionts, acclimatisation, and adaptation processes. These differences highlight the physiological diversity and complexity of symbiotic organisms, such as scleractinian corals, where each species (coral host and microbial endosymbionts) responds differently to thermal stress. We conclude by offering some insights into the future of coral reefs and examining the strategies scientists are leveraging to ensure the survival of this valuable ecosystem. Without a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and a divergence from our societal dependence on fossil fuels, natural mechanisms possessed by corals might be insufficient towards ensuring the ecological functioning of coral reef ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Coral Reef Resilience)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

26 pages, 4517 KiB  
Review
Coral Reef Resilience in Taiwan: Lessons from Long-Term Ecological Research on the Coral Reefs of Kenting National Park (Taiwan)
by Shashank Keshavmurthy, Chao-Yang Kuo, Ya-Yi Huang, Rodrigo Carballo-Bolaños, Pei-Jei Meng, Jih-Terng Wang and Chaolun Allen Chen
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2019, 7(11), 388; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse7110388 - 31 Oct 2019
Cited by 31 | Viewed by 10007 | Correction
Abstract
Coral reefs in the Anthropocene are being subjected to unprecedented levels of stressors, including local disturbances—such as overfishing, habitat destruction, and pollution—and large-scale destruction related to the global impacts of climate change—such as typhoons and coral bleaching. Thus, the future of corals and [...] Read more.
Coral reefs in the Anthropocene are being subjected to unprecedented levels of stressors, including local disturbances—such as overfishing, habitat destruction, and pollution—and large-scale destruction related to the global impacts of climate change—such as typhoons and coral bleaching. Thus, the future of corals and coral reefs in any given community and coral-Symbiodiniaceae associations over time will depend on their level of resilience, from individual corals to entire ecosystems. Herein we review the environmental settings and long-term ecological research on coral reefs, based on both coral resilience and space, in Kenting National Park (KNP), Hengchun Peninsula, southern Taiwan, wherein fringing reefs have developed along the coast of both capes and a semi-closed bay, known as Nanwan, within the peninsula. These reefs are influenced by a branch of Kuroshio Current, the monsoon-induced South China Sea Surface Current, and a tide-induced upwelling that not only shapes coral communities, but also reduces the seawater temperature and creates fluctuating thermal environments which over time have favoured thermal-resistant corals, particularly those corals close to the thermal effluent of a nuclear power plant in the west Nanwan. Although living coral cover (LCC) has fluctuated through time in concordance with major typhoons and coral bleaching between 1986 and 2019, spatial heterogeneity in LCC recovery has been detected, suggesting that coral reef resilience is variable among subregions in KNP. In addition, corals exposed to progressively warmer and fluctuating thermal environments show not only a dominance of associated, thermally-tolerant Durusdinium spp. but also the ability to shuffle their symbiont communities in response to seasonal variations in seawater temperature without bleaching. We demonstrate that coral reefs in a small geographical range with unique environmental settings and ecological characteristics, such as the KNP reef, may be resilient to bleaching and deserve novel conservation efforts. Thus, this review calls for conservation efforts that use resilience-based management programs to reduce local stresses and meet the challenge of climate change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Coral Reef Resilience)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Other

4 pages, 3277 KiB  
Correction
Correction: Keshavmurthy, S., et al. Coral Reef Resilience in Taiwan: Lessons from Long-Term Ecological Research on the Coral Reefs of Kenting National Park (Taiwan). Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 2019, 7, 338
by Shashank Keshavmurthy, Chao-Yang Kuo, Ya-Yi Huang, Rodrigo Carballo-Bolaños, Pei-Jei Meng, Jih-Terng Wang and Chaolun Allen Chen
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2020, 8(12), 964; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse8120964 - 26 Nov 2020
Viewed by 1499
Abstract
The authors are sorry for errors in their paper [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Coral Reef Resilience)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 1881 KiB  
Concept Paper
The Active Reef Restoration Toolbox is a Vehicle for Coral Resilience and Adaptation in a Changing World
by Baruch Rinkevich
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2019, 7(7), 201; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse7070201 - 28 Jun 2019
Cited by 70 | Viewed by 10250
Abstract
The accelerating marks of climate change on coral-reef ecosystems, combined with the recognition that traditional management measures are not efficient enough to cope with climate change tempo and human footprints, have raised a need for new approaches to reef restoration. The most widely [...] Read more.
The accelerating marks of climate change on coral-reef ecosystems, combined with the recognition that traditional management measures are not efficient enough to cope with climate change tempo and human footprints, have raised a need for new approaches to reef restoration. The most widely used approach is the “coral gardening” tenet; an active reef restoration tactic based on principles, concepts, and theories used in silviculture. During the relatively short period since its inception, the gardening approach has been tested globally in a wide range of reef sites, and on about 100 coral species, utilizing hundreds of thousands of nursery-raised coral colonies. While still lacking credibility for simulating restoration scenarios under forecasted climate change impacts, and with a limited adaptation toolkit used in the gardening approach, it is still deficient. Therefore, novel restoration avenues have recently been suggested and devised, and some have already been tested, primarily in the laboratory. Here, I describe seven classes of such novel avenues and tools, which include the improved gardening methodologies, ecological engineering approaches, assisted migration/colonization, assisted genetics/evolution, assisted microbiome, coral epigenetics, and coral chimerism. These are further classified into three operation levels, each dependent on the success of the former level. Altogether, the seven approaches and the three operation levels represent a unified active reef restoration toolbox, under the umbrella of the gardening tenet, focusing on the enhancement of coral resilience and adaptation in a changing world. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Coral Reef Resilience)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-7
Back to TopTop