Exploring the health and environmental drivers of coral reef bright spots

探索珊瑚礁亮点的健康和环境驱动因素

• 批准号: 2880800
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Northumbria University
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2023 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2880800
• 关键词: Exploring; health; environmental; drivers; coral

Coral reefs are biodiversity hotspots that provide key societal benefits to millions of people living in tropical coastal communities (Costanza et al., 2014, Glob. Env. Change). However, reefs around the world are experiencing rapid degradation due to direct (e.g. pollution, coastal development) and indirect (e.g. rising ocean temperatures, sea-level rise) threats. Despite this global trend of rapid decline, some coral reefs, termed 'bright spots' or 'oases', appear to be faring much better than expected given the environmental and socioeconomic conditions that they are exposed to (Cinner et al., 2016, Nature; Guest et al., 2018, J. App. Ecol.). Understanding the drivers that enable some reef systems to act, and remain, as 'bright spots' is important to improve both predictions of reef resilience to future environmental change, and knowledge of how to best conserve reef environments. This PhD project will make exciting contributions to our knowledge of reef 'bright spots' by investigating the reefs of Tela Bay, Honduras, which may be among the healthiest coral reefs of the Caribbean with live hard coral cover of >60% (Bodmer et al., 2021, Scientific Reports). The student will explore the links between the current ecology, geomorphology and future reef growth trajectories of Tela Bay's reefs. The project will also involve collection of environmental data to explore the drivers of coral assemblage organisation. Finally, it seems unlikely that the reefs of Tela are the only 'bright spot' in the region and so you will use environmental data to explore the potential for other 'bright spots' to be located on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System. The student will, therefore, gain skills in ecological habitat mapping, reef carbonate budget surveys, and analyses of environmental data. This project will require fieldwork in collaboration with Operation Wallacea (as CASE partner) at their marine site in Honduras.Key Research Gaps and Questions: 1) To what extent do Tela's reefs represent an ecological 'bright spot'?2) What are the key environmental drivers controlling contemporary reef ecology at Tela?3) What are the future reef growth trajorities of coral reefs at Tela? 4) Are there other locations on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System where coral reef 'bright spots' may be found?

珊瑚礁是生物多样性的热点，可为居住在热带沿海社区中的数百万人提供关键的社会利益（Costanza等，2014，Glob。Env。Change）。但是，由于直接（例如污染，沿海发展）和间接（例如海洋温度升高，海平面上升）威胁，世界各地的礁石正在迅速下降。尽管有这种迅速下降的全球趋势，但某些被称为“明亮斑点”或“绿洲”的珊瑚礁似乎比预期的要好得多，因为它们暴露于环境和社会经济状况（Cinner等人，2016年，自然； Guest et al。，2018年，2018年，J。Ecol。）。理解使某些礁系统能够行动并保持为“亮点”的驱动因素对于改善对未来环境变化的珊瑚礁弹性的两种预测以及如何最好地保护珊瑚礁环境的知识很重要。这个博士学位项目将通过调查洪都拉斯的特拉湾的礁石来为我们对珊瑚礁“明亮地点”的知识做出令人兴奋的贡献，洪都拉斯的礁石可能是加勒比海最健康的珊瑚礁之一，现场硬珊瑚覆盖率> 60％（Bodmer等人，2021年，科学报告）。该学生将探讨当前的生态学，地貌学与Tela湾珊瑚礁未来的礁石生长轨迹之间的联系。该项目还将涉及收集环境数据，以探索珊瑚组合组织的驱动因素。最后，Tela的礁石似乎不太可能是该地区唯一的“亮点”，因此您将使用环境数据来探索其他“明亮斑点”位于中美洲屏障礁系统上的潜力。因此，学生将获得生态栖息地映射，礁石碳酸盐预算调查以及对环境数据的分析的技能。该项目将需要与Wallacea行动（作为案例合作伙伴）在洪都拉斯的海洋场所合作进行实地调查。关键的研究差距和问题：1）Tela的礁石在多大程度上代表了一个生态的“明亮斑点”？2）控制当代reef生态学的关键环境驱动因素是什么？ 4）在中美洲屏障礁系统上是否还有其他位置可以找到珊瑚礁“明亮的斑点”？