The Biophysics of Coral Reef Resilience: Hydrodynamic and Ecological Drivers of Coral Survival Under Extreme Heat

珊瑚礁恢复力的生物物理学：极热条件下珊瑚生存的水动力和生态驱动因素

• 批准号: 2049567
• 负责人: Anne Cohen
• 金额: $ 175.24万
• 依托单位: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-10-01 至 2024-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2049567&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Biophysics; Coral; Reef; Resilience; Hydrodynamic

Coral reefs are among the most diverse ecosystems on the planet and support the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people around the world. Ocean warming and intensifying heatwaves are killing coral reefs and there are urgent efforts underway to identify and protect those capable of surviving future warming. Coral reefs in the central equatorial Pacific have experienced three extreme heat events over the last two decades. Initial observational data obtained by the investigators show that coral mortality during each event was spatially variable, implying that some coral communities have developed resilience to thermal stress. In this study, the investigators are examining the role of fine-scale variations in reef temperature and water flow in promoting coral resilience by providing opportunities for genetic adaptation, by protectively cooling corals through upwelling or internal waves, or by enhancing food supply. Results will provide novel insights into the mechanisms by which coral communities survive extreme heat and a new tool that allows scientists and coral reef managers to identify resilient reefs for protection. Additionally, this project is supporting an early-career scientist, graduate and undergraduate research, opportunities for high school students in the United States to participate in research, as well as participation by Kanton high school students. Outreach will be conducted through presentations and a variety of media, including film. The hydrodynamic model output will be made publicly available, and project outcomes will contribute to a universal map of coral thermal thresholds currently under development by the scientific community.Ocean warming and intensifying heatwaves are devastating coral reefs across the global tropics. Consequently, a coordinated effort is underway to identify and protect coral communities that can survive these changes. This interdisciplinary team of investigators is combining oceanographic observations, 3-dimensional fine-scale hydrodynamic model simulations, benthic surveys, and biological assays to investigate the role of reef hydrodynamics in facilitating coral resilience to thermal stress on Kanton Island in the central equatorial Pacific. The investigators are testing the hypothesis that oceanographic and atmospheric forcing interact with reef bathymetry to induce predictable fine-scale heterogeneity in water temperature and flow across the reef. They are also testing the hypothesis that environmental heterogeneity, in turn, facilitates coral survival of extreme heat by providing opportunities for genetic adaptation, protective cooling, and/or enhanced food supply. Results will provide insights into the biophysical mechanisms underpinning reef resilience and a new tool with which to predict resilience across a broad range of coral reef ecosystems.This project is supported with funds from the Biological and Physical Oceanography Programs.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

珊瑚礁是地球上最多样化的生态系统之一，并支持世界各地数亿人的生计。海洋变暖和加剧的热浪正在杀死珊瑚礁，并正在迫切努力识别和保护那些能够生存未来变暖的人。在过去的二十年中，中央赤道太平洋中部的珊瑚礁经历了三场极端热量事件。研究人员获得的最初观察数据表明，每个事件中的珊瑚死亡率在空间上是可变的，这表明某些珊瑚群落已经对热应力产生了韧性。在这项研究中，研究人员正在研究珊瑚礁温度和水流中的优质变化在促进珊瑚弹性中的作用，通过提供遗传适应的机会，通过上升或内部波或增强食物供应来保护珊瑚，通过保护珊瑚。结果将为珊瑚社区在极端热量中生存的机制提供新的见解，并使科学家和珊瑚礁经理能够识别出弹性的礁石以保护保护。此外，该项目还支持一名早期职业科学家，研究生和本科研究，美国高中生参加研究的机会以及坎顿高中学生的参与。外展将通过演讲和包括电影在内的各种媒体进行。流体动力模型的输出将公开可用，项目成果将为科学界目前正在开发的珊瑚热阈值的普遍地图做出贡献。海洋的变暖和加强热浪是全球热带地区毁灭性的珊瑚礁。 因此，正在努力识别和保护可以在这些变化中生存的珊瑚社区的协调努力。这个研究人员的跨学科团队正在结合海洋学观察，三维细尺度流体动力模型模拟，底栖调查和生物学测定法，以研究珊瑚礁流体动力学在促进中心赤道平原康顿岛热应激方面促进珊瑚色恢复能力方面的作用。研究人员正在检验以下假设：海洋学和大气强迫与礁石测定法相互作用，以诱导水温和珊瑚礁流动的可预测的细尺度异质性。他们还在检验以下假设：环境异质性又通过提供遗传适应性，保护性冷却和/或增强食品供应的机会来促进极端热量的珊瑚生存。结果将提供有关珊瑚礁弹性的生物物理机制的见解，以及一种新工具，可以通过该工具来预测广泛的珊瑚礁生态系统的复原力。该项目得到了生物和物理海洋学计划的资金，该项目得到了NSF的法定任务，反映了通过评估范围的Intelligia和Broitical Infcordual的基础，并反映出了NSF的法定任务，并反映了基础。