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

珊瑚礁是地球上最多样化的生态系统之一，支撑着世界各地数亿人的生计。海洋变暖和日益加剧的热浪正在杀死珊瑚礁，人们正在紧急努力，以确定和保护那些能够在未来变暖中幸存下来的珊瑚礁。赤道太平洋中部的珊瑚礁在过去二十年中经历了三次极端高温事件。研究人员获得的初步观测数据表明，每次事件中的珊瑚死亡率在空间上是可变的，这意味着一些珊瑚群落已经发展出了对热应力的适应能力。在这项研究中，研究人员正在研究珊瑚礁温度和水流的细微变化在促进珊瑚恢复能力方面的作用，通过提供遗传适应的机会，通过上升流或内波保护珊瑚冷却，或通过增加食物供应。结果将为珊瑚群落在极端高温下生存的机制提供新的见解，并为科学家和珊瑚礁管理人员识别需要保护的弹性珊瑚礁提供新工具。此外，该项目还支持一名早期职业科学家、研究生和本科生的研究、美国高中生参与研究的机会，以及坎顿高中学生的参与。外展活动将通过演讲和包括电影在内的各种媒体进行。水动力模型的产出将公开提供，项目成果将有助于科学界目前正在开发的珊瑚热阈值的通用地图。海洋变暖和日益加剧的热浪正在破坏全球热带地区的珊瑚礁。因此，一项协调一致的努力正在进行中，以确定和保护能够在这些变化中生存下来的珊瑚群落。这个跨学科的研究小组将海洋学观测、三维精细水动力学模型模拟、底栖生物调查和生物分析相结合，研究珊瑚礁水动力学在促进赤道太平洋中部坎顿岛珊瑚对热应力的恢复能力方面的作用。研究人员正在测试一种假设，即海洋学和大气强迫与珊瑚礁水深测量相互作用，从而导致可预测的水温和流过珊瑚礁的水流的精细不均一性。他们还在测试这样一个假设，即环境异质性反过来通过提供遗传适应、保护性冷却和/或增强食物供应的机会，促进了珊瑚在极端高温下的生存。研究结果将为支撑珊瑚礁恢复力的生物物理机制提供见解，并为预测广泛珊瑚礁生态系统的恢复力提供新工具。本项目由生物和物理海洋学项目资助。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.