TY - JOUR

T1 - Coral reefs benefit from reduced land–sea impacts under ocean warming

AU - Gove, Jamison M.

AU - Williams, Gareth J.

AU - Lecky, Joey

AU - Brown, Eric

AU - Conklin, Eric

AU - Counsell, Chelsie

AU - Davis, Gerald

AU - Donovan, Mary

AU - Falinski, Kim

AU - Kramer, Lindsey

AU - Kozar, Kelly

AU - Li, Ning

AU - Maynard, Jeffrey A.

AU - McCutcheon, Amanda

AU - McKenna, Sheila

AU - Neilson, Brian

AU - Safaie, Aryan

AU - Teague, Christopher

AU - Whittier, Robert

AU - Asner, Gregory

PY - 2023/9/21

Y1 - 2023/9/21

N2 - Coral reef ecosystems are being fundamentally restructured by local human impacts and climate-driven marine heatwaves that trigger mass coral bleaching and mortality . Reducing local impacts can increase reef resistance to and recovery from bleaching . However, resource managers lack clear advice on targeted actions that best support coral reefs under climate change and sector-based governance means most land- and sea-based management efforts remain siloed . Here we combine surveys of reef change with a unique 20-year time series of land-sea human impacts that encompassed an unprecedented marine heatwave in Hawai'i. Reefs with increased herbivorous fish populations and reduced land-based impacts, such as wastewater pollution and urban runoff, had positive coral cover trajectories predisturbance. These reefs also experienced a modest reduction in coral mortality following severe heat stress compared to reefs with reduced fish populations and enhanced land-based impacts. Scenario modelling indicated that simultaneously reducing land-sea human impacts results in a three- to sixfold greater probability of a reef having high reef-builder cover four years postdisturbance than if either occurred in isolation. International efforts to protect 30% of Earth's land and ocean ecosystems by 2030 are underway . Our results reveal that integrated land-sea management could help achieve coastal ocean conservation goals and provide coral reefs with the best opportunity to persist in our changing climate. [Abstract copyright: © 2023. This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the US; foreign copyright protection may apply.]

AB - Coral reef ecosystems are being fundamentally restructured by local human impacts and climate-driven marine heatwaves that trigger mass coral bleaching and mortality . Reducing local impacts can increase reef resistance to and recovery from bleaching . However, resource managers lack clear advice on targeted actions that best support coral reefs under climate change and sector-based governance means most land- and sea-based management efforts remain siloed . Here we combine surveys of reef change with a unique 20-year time series of land-sea human impacts that encompassed an unprecedented marine heatwave in Hawai'i. Reefs with increased herbivorous fish populations and reduced land-based impacts, such as wastewater pollution and urban runoff, had positive coral cover trajectories predisturbance. These reefs also experienced a modest reduction in coral mortality following severe heat stress compared to reefs with reduced fish populations and enhanced land-based impacts. Scenario modelling indicated that simultaneously reducing land-sea human impacts results in a three- to sixfold greater probability of a reef having high reef-builder cover four years postdisturbance than if either occurred in isolation. International efforts to protect 30% of Earth's land and ocean ecosystems by 2030 are underway . Our results reveal that integrated land-sea management could help achieve coastal ocean conservation goals and provide coral reefs with the best opportunity to persist in our changing climate. [Abstract copyright: © 2023. This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the US; foreign copyright protection may apply.]

U2 - 10.1038/s41586-023-06394-w

DO - 10.1038/s41586-023-06394-w

M3 - Article

VL - 621

SP - 536

EP - 542

JO - Nature

JF - Nature

SN - 1476-4687

IS - 7979

ER -