Climate change impedes scleractinian corals as primary reef ecosystem engineers

Wild, Christian, Hoegh-Guldberg, Ove, Naumann, Malik S., Colombo-Pallotta, M. Florencia, Ateweberhan, Mebrahtu, Fitt, William K., Iglesias-Prieto, Roberto, Palmer, Caroline, Bythell, John C., Ortiz, Juan-Carlos, Loya, Yossi, and van Woesik, Robert (2011) Climate change impedes scleractinian corals as primary reef ecosystem engineers. Marine and Freshwater Research, 62 (2). pp. 205-215.

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Abstract

Coral reefs are among the most diverse and productive ecosystems on our planet. Scleractinian corals function as the primary reef ecosystem engineers, constructing the framework that serves as a habitat for all other coral reef-associated organisms. However, the coral's engineering role is particularly susceptible to global climate change. Ocean warming can cause extensive mass coral bleaching, which triggers dysfunction of major engineering processes. Sub-lethal bleaching results in the reduction of both primary productivity and coral calcification. This may lead to changes in the release of organic and inorganic products, thereby altering critical biogeochemical and recycling processes in reef ecosystems. Thermal stress-induced bleaching and subsequent coral mortality, along with ocean acidification, further lead to long-term shifts in benthic community structure, changes in topographic reef complexity, and the modification of reef functioning. Such shifts may cause negative feedback loops and further modification of coral-derived inorganic and organic products. This review emphasises the critical role of scleractinian corals as reef ecosystem engineers and highlights the control of corals over key reef ecosystem goods and services, including high biodiversity, coastal protection, fishing, and tourism. Thus, climate change by impeding coral ecosystem engineers will impair the ecosystem functioning of entire reefs.

Item ID: 21183
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 1448-6059
Keywords: bleaching, ecosystem goods and services, ocean warming and acidification
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© CSIRO 2011 Open Access. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommericial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Date Deposited: 26 Mar 2012 04:46
FoR Codes: 06 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 0602 Ecology > 060205 Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl Marine Ichthyology) @ 100%
SEO Codes: 97 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 970106 Expanding Knowledge in the Biological Sciences @ 100%
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