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，支持着世界各地数亿人的生计。海洋变暖和不断加剧的热浪正在杀死珊瑚礁，目前正在采取紧急措施，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。调查人员获得的初步观察数据显示，每次事件期间珊瑚的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对热应力的恢复能力。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力方面的作用，通过提供遗传适应的机会，通过上涌或内波保护性地冷却珊瑚，或通过增加食物供应。研究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，并提供一种新工具，使科学家和珊瑚礁管理者能够识别需要保护的有弹性的珊瑚礁。此外，该项目还支持早期职业科学家，研究生和本科生研究，美国高中生参与研究的机会，以及坎顿高中学生的参与。将通过介绍和包括电影在内的各种媒体进行宣传。水动力学模型的结果将公开提供，项目成果将有助于科学界目前正在制定的珊瑚热阈值通用地图。 因此，正在进行协调一致的努力，以确定和保护能够在这些变化中生存的珊瑚群落。这个跨学科的研究团队正在结合海洋学观测，三维精细尺度水动力模型模拟，底栖调查和生物测定，以研究珊瑚礁水动力学在促进珊瑚对赤道太平洋中部坎顿岛热应力的恢复中的作用。调查人员正在检验一种假设，即海洋和大气强迫与珊瑚礁水深测量相互作用，导致水温和流经珊瑚礁的水流出现可预测的细尺度异质性。他们还在测试一种假设，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，促进珊瑚在极端高温下的生存。结果将提供深入了解生物物理机制支撑珊瑚礁的弹性和一个新的工具，预测弹性在广泛的珊瑚礁生态系统。这个项目是由生物和物理海洋学计划的资金支持。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过评估使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准的支持。