Long-term impacts of rising sea temperature and sea level on shallow water coral communities over a ~40 year period.

ABSTRACT: Effects of combined rising sea temperature and increasing sea level on coral reefs, both factors associated with global warming, have rarely been addressed. In this ~40 y study of shallow reefs in the eastern Indian Ocean, we show that a rising relative sea level, currently estimated at ~11 mm y^-1, has not only promoted coral cover but also has potential to limit damaging effects of thermally-induced bleaching. In 2010 the region experienced the most severe bleaching on record with corals subject to sea temperatures of >31 °C for 7 weeks. While the reef flats studied have a common aspect and are dominated by a similar suite of coral species, there was considerable spatial variation in their bleaching response which corresponded with reef-flat depth. Greatest loss of coral cover

SUBMITTER: Brown BE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6584745 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature