ECCF - biodiversity

Reef temperature wrangler

mguckian — Mon, 16 Oct 2017 14:21:12 +0000

Oct 16, 2017

Photo: wildcoast.net

Coral reefs often go unnoticed because they’re underwater; but even though we don’t regularly pay much attention to them, they’re an extremely important part of our everyday lives. Coral reefs have been estimated to provide support for over a quarter of all marine species and this extreme biodiversity makes them a frequent source of discovery for new medicines that can help fight cancer and other diseases. They also protect our coastlines from storm surges, and provide millions of individuals with a source food and income. These are a few of the reasons why the world’s coral reefs are valued at nearly 10 trillion dollars.

Coral Crisis

Unfortunately, we’re in a bit of a coral crisis. Recently we’ve been losing a frightening amount of the world’s coral reefs. The vast majority of the reefs (80%) in the Caribbean, and over half in the Indo-Pacific region have already been lost. This large decline in reefs is predominantly caused by coral bleaching:

Inside the coral live tiny photosynthetic plants – or algae called zooxanthellae - that provide the coral with food and its beautiful color, but when the water around the coral becomes too warm, the algae are forced out of the coral, leaving behind the coral’s white calcium carbonate skeleton, giving it a “bleached” appearance. If the coral goes too long without the support from the algae, they starve, become vulnerable to disease, and frequently die.

Figure 2. PRocess and causes of coral bleaching. Photo: NOAA.

It is expected that as global warming continues to cause water temperatures to rise, coral bleaching will become more frequent and severe. By 2050, it’s projected that between 91 and 98% of the world’s coral reefs will be exposed to bleaching-level thermal stress on an annual basis.

Coral Reef Monitoring

Fortunately, there is a lot of great work being done to address this important issue. The South Florida and Caribbean Network (SFCN) of the National Park Service’s Inventory and Monitoring Program has been monitoring water temperature and coral bleaching since the late 1980’s and have collected an amazing supply of data. Through an internship with the Young Leaders in Climate Change (YLCC), I had the opportunity to work with SFCN as a data analyst to make sense of their data. Below are a few of my most important findings.

Figure 3. Stages of coral bleaching. Photo: The Ocean Agency / XL Catlin Seaview / Richard Vevers)

Water Temperature Trends and Coral Bleaching Forecasts

Water temperature has been increasing in the Virgin Islands – one location where SFCN monitors coral bleaching – since the project was started in 1988. Although this long-term trend is expected to continue into the future, it doesn’t suggest that water temperatures will increase consistently on a year-to-year basis.

In order to anticipate what water temperatures can be expected in the near future, we can use past data to create 24-month water temperature forecasts. Since water temperature and coral bleaching have a very strong relationship, our forecast is helpful because it lets us anticipate whether a coming year will be good or bad for reefs and if there will be more or less bleaching. For example, our forecasts for the Virgin Islands found that 2017 will be slightly cooler than previous years, with a relatively low amount of bleaching predicted (22%) - good news for the coral reefs in that region. This type of foresight allows for adaptive resource management and more effective monitoring of coral bleaching, but much more needs to be done to address the issue.

What is being done and what you can do to help

Scientists and researchers around the world are working on many different projects to help minimize the impact of coral bleaching. These projects include: coral nurseries and reef restoration initiatives, studying the factors that increase coral’s susceptibility to bleaching, and even genetically modifying algae to be resistant to warmer ocean temperatures.

Although these researchers’ are making important contributions, they won’t be able to fix the problem alone. Saving our coral reefs is going to require many people making small efforts to help battle coral bleaching and global warming. Separately, these small individual efforts may seem miniscule, but if enough people make them, they will have a large impact overall. After all, it takes millions of individual coral polyps to build a reef.

Figure 4. Coral polyps. Photo: SFCN.

Fortunately, one of the most frequent questions I get when I talk about coral bleaching is “what can I do to help?” Here are a few of the many ways you can help save our reefs:

Reduce your carbon footprint.
Inform others about coral bleaching to spread awareness.
Support organizations dedicated to conserving coral reefs.
Contact your government officials about implementing laws to preserve marine ecosystems.
- Marine protected areas help mitigate coral bleaching.
Reduce water consumption to minimize runoff pollution
If you live near the coast, volunteer for cleanups or participate in citizen science initiatives to report cases of coral bleaching

Resources

Coral reef conservation organizations
Coral bleaching citizen science
- NOAA Coral Reef Watch
- CoralWatch
Netflix documentary
- Chasing Coral
NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch Program
- Educational resources
- Water temperature monitoring

Category:

Science & research

Tags:

advocacy

biodiversity

climate impacts

global warming

oceans

temperature

Author/writer:

Brandon Araujo

High Stakes for our High Peaks: Working to Conserve Montane Birds of the Northern Forest in the Face of Climate Change

mguckian — Wed, 13 Jul 2016 13:51:17 +0000

Jul 18, 2016

Taking a break atop Mt. Webster, White Mountain National Forest, NH. Photo: Tim Duclos

While the mountains of the Northeast may not be the tallest nor the most remote compared to others within North America, they contribute just as much to the natural and cultural value of the surrounding landscape as any other. Stretching from the Catskills and Adirondacks of New York to the Greens of Vermont, Whites of New Hampshire, and all the way up to Katahdin in Maine, the mountains of the Northern Forest are a formidable and irreplaceable feature of the Northeastern landscape. As they rise in elevation, both the climate and geology change. As a result, the forest itself changes; hardwoods first slowly give way to red spruce and balsam fir, then before tree-line, the forest, completely warped by the harsh climate, transitions into a thick and stunted forest known as the “krumholdtz”- a German word meaning “bent, twisted, and crooked”. Anybody who has attempted to traverse such forest can testify to the applicability of this term. Alongside this change in the forest, as well as climatic condition, the animal community also changes. Existing in these high elevation areas are birds, plants, and other animals that cannot be found anywhere else in lower areas. As such, our high areas contribute greatly to regional biodiversity and for this reason alone their conservation and protection must be a priority.

I believe it is the change in elevation and biodiversity that attracts many of us to adventure in these areas—we seek them to quite literally elevate our senses and expand our perspective. It is partly for this reason that from my earliest days I have been in love with the mountains. I’ve been long captivated by the independence, wonder, and challenge that comes with living out of a backpack while hiking long distances across the landscape; indeed, I have through hiked Vermont’s Long Trail and completed much of the Appalachian Trail. Consequently, it is of no surprise that as a young career scientist and conservation ecologist I am working to conserve and protect these special areas for many generations to come.

Commanding view of the Presidential range from atop Mt. Jefferson, south to Mt. Washington. Photo: Tim Duclos

Our mountains face an ever growing multitude of threats, most notable of which are climate change, pollution, and incompatible forms of land use such as poorly sited timber harvest, recreational infrastructure, and wind facilities. However, while many high elevation areas are actually already conserved, protected, or otherwise managed against incompatible forms of land use, climate change is an external force existent beyond the direct control of any land manager. Climate change threatens to disrupt the delicate balance between climate and forests that together comprise suitable habitat for the species absolutely dependent upon these areas for their existence. This threat is very real- as we have already started to see the effects of climate change upon mountain ecosystems across the world.

One way ecologists measure changes in an ecosystem is to monitor the state of species that closely associate with certain environments. Ecologists call such species “environmental indicators” or simply “indicator species”. The diversity of birds as well as their respective associations with certain environments makes birds just such excellent indicators. Furthermore, birds are an integral part of their respective ecosystems as well as a charismatic suite of species that many people care tremendously about. For these reasons, the US Forest Service and their collaborators, such as the Vermont Center for Ecostudies, have been monitoring high elevation bird communities in the White Mountain National Forest (WMNF) of New Hampshire for decades. Analyses of these data reveal that several species of the high elevation bird communities are on the decline. Moreover, bird communities across the montane landscape are shifting in their elevational distribution; a phenomenon which has also been observed in other mountains across North America. A decline in the population as well as shifts in their distributions are major causes for concern and also indicate that other changes are likely happening in these mountains.

It may not come as a surprise that the temperature has been changing in the mountains of the Northeast as a result of global climate change; indeed, evidence suggests that temperature has been increasing across all elevations in our mountains. Concurrently, shifts in the elevational distribution in the forest community along elevation has been widely observed- the leading cause of which is hypothesized to be the effects of acid deposition, land use change, and climate change. It stands to reason that the changes we are observing in our bird population may predominantly be a result of a change in suitable climate, forest structure/composition, or some combination of both- at least this is what I posit is going on.

Conducting point counts in the spruce-fir forest. Photo: Tim Duclos

Before resource managers can fully take action to protect and conserve our montane species in the face of climate change, managers first require more information regarding exactly how, and to what degree, montane climate affects birds. Such information would allow managers to accurately identify areas of the forest that, if managed accordingly, will present both the climate and forest community that together comprise suitable habitat for vulnerable mountain birds. However, to date, little to no information exists describing the fine-scale association between the birds inhabiting these forested areas and the climate during the summer breeding season. We already know that forests and climate are forecasted to change at different rates. Thus in order to predict how these birds are going to be affected by climate change, we need a better understanding of the relative importance of climate and forest structure/composition for these birds.

It is this valuable information which I am working hard to provide through my current research in the WMNF. I have spent nearly every day of the last two summers diligently counting birds, measuring forest community structure and species composition, and deploying temperature recorders located at 150 study sites ranging across 15 Presidential Mountains in the White Mountain National Forest. To date I have personally hiked nearly 700 miles for this project, and I honestly could not think of a better way to spend my time and career. I mean, lets face it- I’m getting paid to radically advance my skills and abilities as an ecologist, hike in the mountains I know and love, and contribute to the protection and conservation of an ecosystem that is inherently, functionally and culturally tremendously valuable. How does it get any better than that?

All-in-all through this work, my colleagues and I are unraveling and describing the relationship between our montane birds and vital components of their habitat. My results, alongside the concurrent work of many others, is contributing critical information to researchers and managers that will improve the conservation and protection of these special bird species, their habitats, and the wild character of our great mountains, far into the future. As for me, I know that I will not rest until I have done all that I can to ensure that our future generations can continue to enjoy the same unique nature of these mountains that makes them so special today.

Category:

Science & research

Tags:

biodiversity

climate change

climate science center

data

ecology

landscape conservation

Author/writer:

Timothy Duclos

Why is genetic diversity important?

mguckian — Sun, 17 Apr 2016 23:54:37 +0000

Apr 17, 2016

The Chicago River turns green every St. Patrick’s Day. Many Irish Americans are descentants who migrated because of the potato famine.

You could almost blame the greeness of the Chicago River on lack of genetic diversity.

Well, at least, indirectly…

If it weren’t for the Irish potato famine, the Windy City, along with many other American cities, may not have had the influx of Irish immigrants in the mid 19th century bringing their Celtic traditions, affinity for fine whiskey, and that frolicking holiday every March 17th celebrating their good ol’ patron Saint Patrick with parades, leprechauns, green beer, and even a green river. The potato famine is an extreme example of the consequences of loss of genetic diversity. Ireland relied so heavily on monoculture of potatoes that when blight caused the potatoes to rot, the Irish lost their primary food source. Famine – and mass migration – ensued.

So, while the Irish potato famine can also be tied back to many social and economic causes (e.g., absentee English land tenancy), lack of genetic diversity is certainly one contributing factor. What can this tale of Irish woe demonstrate for fish conservation? The value of genetic diversity. This applies to fish species and aquatic communities just the same as it applies to agricultural crops.

The Portfolio Effect

If you can think of genetic value like you think of your retirement plan, a diversified portfolio minimizes risk and often provides the most reliable returns. In fact, the ‘portfolio effect’ has often been cited with respect to biodiversity and ecosystem services (see Figge 2004). Essentially, by having greater genetic diversity within a fish species (e.g., many discrete populations with different life history strategies rather than a single homogenized population), the species is more apt to withstand variable conditions. Perhaps one year, one population does well and in another year a different population does well. Over time, they all even out. By having that variation built in, the species minimizes its risk of complete collapse (e.g., what happened during the potato famine). The portfolio effect is particularly valuable when considering harvested species because it helps fisheries maintain stable catch levels through the boom and bust cycles of particular populations (see Schindler et al. 2010).

Global change and genetic diversity

Genetic diversity and the portfolio effect can help buffer species against global change. Take Pacific salmon as one example. Salmon have a wide range of life history strategies, perhaps most evident in the variation in spawning migration timing. Evolutionarily, different spawning runs arose because in certain years environmental conditions favored the success of offspring spawned at certain times. The stability of salmon abundances in southeast Alaska is often attributed to this high level of diversity. With climate change, certain salmon life history strategies are frequently more favorable. Indeed, there is already genetic evidence of long-term changes in migration timing of adult salmon in the region (see Kovach et al. 2012).

Sockeye Salmon may be resilient to climate change because of high genetic diversity.(photo credit: Jonny Armstrong, University of Washington)

The greater the genetic diversity, the greater the opportunity for resiliency to future climate change. When it comes to fish conservation in an era of global change, genetic diversity is like that diversified financial portfolio. If you bet everything on one strain, you could end up with another potato famine. But, if you prioritize conservation of diversity (as in the previous Fisheries Blog post on Gila Trout), you can pave the way for natural selection to promote evolutionary response to change. While this may not turn any rivers St. Patty’s Day green, it can keep rivers red with salmon returning to spawn.

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This post orginally appeared on The Fisheries Blog on March 21, 2016.

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Abby Lynch is a Research Fishery Biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey's National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center.

References:

Figge, F. 2004. Bio-folio: applying portfolio theory to biodiversity. Biodivers. Conserv. 13(4): 827–849.

Kovach, R.P., Gharrett, A.J., and Tallmon, D.A. 2012. Genetic change for earlier migration timing in a pink salmon population. Proc. R. Soc. B Biol. Sci. 279(1743): 3870–3878

Schindler, D.E., Hilborn, R., Chasco, B., Boatright, C.P., Quinn, T.P., Rogers, L.A., and Webster, M.S. 2010. Population diversity and the portfolio effect in an exploited species. Nature 465(7298): 609–612.

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Author/writer:

Abigail (Abby) Lynch

Corals under climate change: Hawai’i’s winners and losers

mstaudinger — Sat, 12 Mar 2016 20:43:48 +0000

Mar 14, 2016

Keisha Bahr, Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Hawaiʻi in the Coral Reef Ecology Lab at the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology.

Coral species tested in this study included endemic finger coral (Porites compressa), lace coral (Pocillopora damicornis), rice coral (Montipora capitata), crust coral (Leptastrea purpurea) and mushroom coral (Fungia scutaria) under experimental conditions of control (ambient), ocean acidification (acidified), ocean warming (heated), and the combinated of ocean warming and acidification (acidified heated).

Keisha conducting coral bleaching surveys in Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, Oʻahu HI.

Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, Coral Reef Ecology Lab mesocosm experimental system located at Moku o Loʻe, Kāneʻohe Bay HI.

The beauty of a healthy, thriving coral reef community is astonishing. These ‘rainforests of the sea’ are unique and their beauty is unmatched. While coral reefs only occupy less than 1% of the world’s ocean floor, they support more than 25% of all marine species. An estimated 85% of the United States’ reef area is located within the Hawaiian Archipelago that holds the largest marine sanctuary in the world, the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Coral reef communities within these waters are of particular concern because of the high proportion of endemic marine species (>25% for most taxa). These isolated subtropical coral reef communities were once safe from conditions that have ravaged similar ecosystems in other parts of the world’s oceans. Corals reefs of the Hawaiian Islands are currently experiencing the growing impacts of climate change with more frequent and severe bleaching events occurring in 1996, 2002, 2014 and 2015. The severity and extent of these bleaching events may pose a significant threat to the integrity of this unique ecosystem.

Reefs throughout the world are undergoing significant ecological change due to climate change. The effects of burning fossil fuels are two fold: warming and acidification. Increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide create a green house effect causing the planet and its oceans to warm, also known as “global warming”. Offshore water temperatures of Hawai’i have already increased by 1.15°C over the past 58 years. Corals are also faced with another CO₂ problem: ocean acidification. Carbon dioxide dissolves into the ocean, which causes the pH of the ocean to decrease. Ocean acidity has increased by approximately 25% since pre-industrial times (circa 1750-1850) and has resulted in severe negative effects on many calcifying marine organisms. Since these two processes are expected to increase in unison, it is important that we understand how corals respond to these stressors simultaneously.

Previous work has shown ocean warming and acidification reduces coral growth and increases coral bleaching (through the loss of algal symbionts); however, responses are not uniform within and between coral species. This suggests some individuals may not be affected by end-of-century climate change scenarios. To gain a better understanding of the future of coral reefs in Hawaiʻi, I conducted a series of laboratory experiments to determine the relative susceptibility of five abundant species including the endemic finger coral (Porites compressa), lace coral (Pocillopora damicornis), rice coral (Montipora capitata), crust coral (Leptastrea purpurea) and mushroom coral (Fungia scutaria) to future climate change conditions. I did this by exposing corals to warming temperatures of 2°C or more, as well as ocean acidification by decreasing the pH of the water. I exposed corals to these factors separately and together for an eight-week period.

Overall, I found that ocean warming had a greater negative impact on coral growth compared to ocean acidification. The crust coral showed no detectable response in growth to increased temperatures and acidity, revealing this species may be more resistant to climate change. Ocean acidification also did not appear to effect growth in rice corals. However, the other four coral species all had lower growth rates under ocean warming conditions, and the endemic finger coral was found to be the most susceptible coral species to these climate change stressors.

Climate change effects on coral species are generally negative, but the magnitude and variability of the response varied among individual corals and species. Climate change is also affecting corals on a backdrop of many other anthropogenic stressors such as sedimentation, overfishing, trampling by snorkelers and divers, and nutrient loading. It is important that we understand why some corals species are more susceptible than others to these climate change stressors to gain a better idea of what future reefs may look like. Studies such as mine also are useful for providing a framework to model future species composition, abundance, and available habitat for future coral reefs. With these models, scientists, managers, and policy makers can prioritize areas that are subject to the most immediate and dangerous threats and discuss strategies to minimize climate change effects in those areas. There are conservation and management actions that can be implemented now to help sustain coral reefs such as water conservation, pollution reduction, reducing carbon footprints, and when diving and enjoying reefs to practice safe snorkeling techniques.

Lastly, Hawaiʻi has a statewide reporting system, Hawaiʻi Eyes of the Reef, which enables all community members to contribute to long-term protection of our local reefs. The public is welcome to submit photo-documentation and reports of coral bleaching to the Eyes of the Reef Hawaiʻi network.

Keisha Bahr is a Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Hawaiʻi Mānoa (Pacific Islands CSC) in the Coral Reef Ecology Lab at the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology.

For more information and results, check out Keisha's recently published paper: Relative sensitivity of five Hawaiian coral species to high temperature under high-pCO2 conditions in the journal Coral Reefs.

Check out how much life one cubic foot of a reef supports at Biocubes: Life In Once Cubic Foot.

Category:

Science & research

Tags:

biodiversity

climate change

coastal systems ecology

Author/writer:

Keisha Bahr

Bye Bye Birdie: The Disappearing Avifauna of Hawaiʻi

mguckian — Mon, 29 Feb 2016 12:36:19 +0000

Feb 29, 2016

Critically Endangered ʻAkekeʻe (Loxops caeruleirostris) Photo Credit: Jim Denny

As an isolated island archipelago in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the Hawaiian Islands have become home to many endemic species found nowhere else in the world. Hawaiʻi provided a unique place for ecological divergence, leading to the evolution of the islands’ expansive and impressive native avifauna. The forest birds in particular are biologically significant to the complex and fragile forest ecosystems of Hawaiʻi. These birds also hold a prominent position in Native Hawaiian culture as the feathers are considered some of the most valuable things to own and are important to the ancient art of Hawaiian feather artisans.

Threatened Iʻiwi Honeycreeper (Vestiaria coccinea) Photo Credit: Jack Jeffery

Sadly, less than half of the original native Hawaiian forest bird species exist in the wild today. Historical human impacts that led to the decline of many forest birds included the introduction of new species, habitat modification, and avian diseases. More recent human-caused effects stem from ongoing climate change in the region. Warming, for example, has increased the range of non-native mosquito vectors carrying avian malaria into upper elevations, leading to even higher infection rates. Forest birds are being restricted to the last narrow bands of high-elevation forest refugias as the climatic limits of these mosquitos decline over time. Future climatic changes will most likely continue to affect the survivorship of these already endangered endemic Hawaiian forest birds.

Recent research projects that Hawaiian forest birds may lose at least half, if not all, of their current habitat range by the end of the century. Using innovative modeling methods to determine species distribution ranges, scientists projected future shifts in forest bird habitats linked to the coupled impacts of climate change and avian malaria. As warming continues, mosquitos carrying avian malaria are projected to be able to spread into high-elevation forest regions, leaving no uninfected habitat area left for the native forest birds. This collaborative study by the Pacific Islands Climate Change Cooperative (PICCC) and USGS Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center (PIERC) highlighted the need for continued conservations and restoration of critical habitat areas and suggested that these efforts alone may not be enough to preserve these forest bird populations, calling for novel methods to be considered as management options. This is not to say that there is no hope for the future of these native bird species, only that the researchers said the time to act is now.

Some conservation methods already have been enacted to help preserve the livelihood of these native forest birds in the future. For example, different conservation groups aim to preserve habitats for these forest birds by removing mosquito larvae from streams, managing invasive ungulates, and limiting access of other invasive species and predators to certain areas. Also, the San Diego Zoo Global in conjunction with local Hawaiʻi based partners has begun captive breeding programs for certain at-risk forest bird species. These native species include the ʻAkekeʻe, ʻAkikiki, Maui Parrotbill, Palila, and Puaiohi, along with other native avifauna such as the Nene and ʻAlala. These efforts are important to increase the survivorship of rare species and need to be continued as current conservation strategies. However, while all these projects are helping to maintain current species populations, they alone may not be enough to overcome the challenges presented by climate change.

Extinct Hawaiʻi ʻŌʻō (Moho nobilis) Image Credit: Marian Berger

In light of these serious and ever-increasing threats to the endemic forest birds of Hawaiʻi, there has been a call for additional and more advanced action within the conservation community. Viable adaptation and management strategies will likely include a combination of conservation methods, both conventional and unconventional, such as habitat protection coupled with genetic modifications of birds to be immune to avian malaria or captive breeding in conjunction with reintroduction or translocation. A single panacea can hardly be expected to resolve such an intricate and multifaceted problem. This joint research by PICCC and USGS calls for such additional and novel conservation actions as the reality is that sustainable and scientifically based, long-term solutions need to be implemented to avoid possible range collapses and more avian extinctions in the future.

For more information and results, check out this PICCC story map here.

Lauren R. Kaiser is a Researcher for the USGS Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center (PIERC) at the University of Hawai'i System.

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Author/writer:

Lauren R. Kaiser