Fabricius, Katharina E., Cooley, Sarah R., Golbuu, Yimnang, Riginos, Cynthia, Gonzalez-Rivero, Manuel, Heron, Scott F., Mead, David, Cinner, Joshua, and Schaffelke, Britta (2024) Research priorities to support coral reefs during rapid climate change. PLOS Climate, 3 (7). e0000435.

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Abstract

Tropical shallow-water coral reefs, the most biodiverse of all marine habitats, are globally threatened by climate change and the cumulative impacts of other human stressors (Fig 1). A ~1.5°C warming above pre-industrial levels will induce near-annual coral bleaching and mortality from ~2040 onwards [1], with 2.7°C warming by 2100 ultimately predicted by the presently most likely scenarios–within the span of a few human and coral generations [2]. Trying to conserve as many coral reefs as possible throughout this century is a global obligation, for two sets of values that are tightly interlinked. First, the protection of the intrinsic values of coral reefs is an ethical responsibility for its own sake [3] and is enshrined through global treaties such as the Convention on Biological Diversity. Second, coral reefs annually provide US$375 billion in monetary and non-monetary values to hundreds of millions of people [1]. They contribute to coastal protection, employment and income from tourism, fishing, and aquarium trade, as well as protein, cultural, spiritual, and recreational values [4]. International agreements such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework set targets for the prevention and reversal of losses in the extent, ecological functions, habitat quality and biodiversity of ecosystems. However, for coral reefs, these targets will become unreachable under climate change unless radically new solutions and the willingness to implement known solutions are found.

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