Biology - Terrestrial, Freshwater, and Marine Ecosystems Program
Global ChangeProject Title: Extrinsic and Intrinsic Factors Affecting the Resilience of Corals to Climate Change, and Their Use in Designing Marine Reserves Principal Investigator: Charles Birkeland, USGS Hawaii Cooperative Fishery Research Unit Introduction The management of marine biological resources differs from that of terrestrial biological resources in that the adults of coral-reef communities, including fishes, are relatively stationary, and the placement of populations is determined by the movement and selection of the larval stages in the life histories. In terrestrial systems, the adults usually have the capability of relocating and choosing the spot to deposit eggs or raise offspring. In the marine environment, the critical decision is to determine where to focus the effort to save the source populations. To do this, the managers need to know what local aspects of the physical environment ameliorate the effects of global climate change. To put realistic limits on the time frame and on the thresholds of abilities of the key organisms, it is necessary to determine the mechanisms of acclimatization and the capacity for adaptation of the organisms. We have made substantial progress towards these objectives. The focus and the overall goals of this project were developed in conjunction with NPSA staff to address the National Park Service’s management needs in the face of sustained elevated seawater temperatures and high irradiance levels that are likely to occur due to global warming. The first two long-term goals of the USGS BRD Climate Change Science Program is to “determine the sensitivity and response of ecosystems and ecological processes to environmental factors, including existing impacts at the local, landscape and continental level” and “to assess and predict how future environmental conditions may affect structure, function and long-term viability of natural and human impacted ecosystems”.
Contact Information Charles Birkeland |
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