Download or read book Large scale Dynamics of Coral Reef Systems written by Robert W. Buddemeier and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 116 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Encyclopedia of Modern Coral Reefs written by David Hopley and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2010-11-26 with total page 1226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Coral reefs are the largest landforms built by plants and animals. Their study therefore incorporates a wide range of disciplines. This encyclopedia approaches coral reefs from an earth science perspective, concentrating especially on modern reefs. Currently coral reefs are under high stress, most prominently from climate change with changes to water temperature, sea level and ocean acidification particularly damaging. Modern reefs have evolved through the massive environmental changes of the Quaternary with long periods of exposure during glacially lowered sea level periods and short periods of interglacial growth. The entries in this encyclopedia condense the large amount of work carried out since Charles Darwin first attempted to understand reef evolution. Leading authorities from many countries have contributed to the entries covering areas of geology, geography and ecology, providing comprehensive access to the most up-to-date research on the structure, form and processes operating on Quaternary coral reefs.

Download or read book Multi scale Dynamics of Coral Reef Complex Systems written by Marlene Brito-Millan and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Coral reef benthic communities form a critical part of coral reef systems linked to human societies. Using a complex systems approach that highlights inter-dependencies between substrate-bound organisms competing for space and ecological patterns that constrain demographic and competitive processes, the coral reef benthic system is dynamically characterized from the coral colony scale to the island scale with numerical models and data analysis techniques. In Chapter 2, I quantify and analyze reef-building coral colony change with colony areal coverage and longevity. Using over 4,300 Caribbean colonies measured over 4.5 years, proportional change in area of smaller colonies was found to be greater than for larger ones, following expectations of allometrically constrained growth. In terms of longevity, larger colonies lived longer than smaller ones, an effect that was lessened by colony fission and fusion, indicating these processes could confer a survival advantage. Overall, the results support a critical dependence of coral colony demography on size and morphology. In Chapter 3, I analyze the effect of spatial patterning on reefscape change over decadal time spans. Using a cellular model that simulates the interactions between four benthic functional groups, I find that reefscape (dm-km) dynamics can be categorized robustly with four distinct stages, including a transient stage dominated by nonlinear competitive dynamics. Increasing levels of colony spatial aggregation (clumpiness) results in a longer duration transient stage, prolonging arrival to the steady state. Results have potential implications for reef monitoring and restoration; for example, high initial aggregation slows loss in degraded reefs and low initial aggregation accelerates growth in healthy reefs. In Chapter 4, I describe derivation of a novel island-scale continuum coral reef model based on the cellular model used in Chapter 3. Numerical solutions of the resulting twelve coupled nonlinear partial differential equations (describing change of functional group fractional covers, nondimensional boundary lengths between functional groups, mean colony size and fish biomass density) match key aspects of the cellular model, as well as producing emergent patterns that go beyond what is observed in the cellular model. In Chapter 5, I describe a novel framework for using these results to build models of coupled societal-reef systems.

Download or read book Quaternary Coral Reef Systems written by Lucien F. Montaggioni and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2009-08-13 with total page 550 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents both state-of-the art knowledge from Recent coral reefs (1.8 million to a few centuries old) gained since the eighties, and introduces geologists, oceanographers and environmentalists to sedimentological and paleoecological studies of an ecosystem encompassing some of the world's richest biodiversity. Scleractinian reefs first appeared about 300 million years ago. Today coral reef systems provide some of the most sensitive gauges of environmental change, expressing the complex interplay of chemical, physical, geological and biological factors. The topics covered will include the evolutionary history of reef systems and some of the main reef builders since the Cenozoic, the effects of biological and environmental forces on the zonation of reef systems and the distribution of reef organisms and on reef community dynamics through time, changes in the geometry, anatomy and stratigraphy of reef bodies and systems in relation to changes in sea level and tectonics, the distribution patterns of sedimentary (framework or detrital) facies in relation to those of biological communities, the modes and rates of reef accretion (progradation, aggradation versus backstepping; coral growth versus reef growth), the hydrodynamic forces controlling water circulation through reef structures and their relationship to early diagenetic processes, the major diagenetic processes affecting reef bodies through time (replacement and diddolution, dolomitization, phosphatogenesis), and the record of climate change by both individual coral colonies and reef systems over the Quaternary. * state-of-the-art knowledge from Recent corals reefs* introduction to sedimentological and paleoecological studies of an ecosystems encompassing some of the world's richest biodiversity.* authors are internationally regarded authorities on the subject* trustworthy information

Download or read book Dynamics of Coral Communities written by R.H. Karlson and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2002-10-31 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book focuses on the dynamical processes influencing the structure of coral communities, some of the most biologically diverse communities on earth. A variety of biological and physical processes operating across an enormous range of spatiotemporal scales are highlighted (e.g., niche partitioning, biological interactions, disturbance phenomena, large-scale tectonic, eustatic, climatic, and oceanographic processes). The focus on the community provides a framework for presenting some of the best examples from the literature using multiple taxonomic groups (e.g., corals, fishes, encrusting invertebrates).

Download or read book Resilience and the Behavior of Large Scale Systems written by Lance H. Gunderson and published by Island Press. This book was released on 2012-06-22 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Scientists and researchers concerned with the behavior of large ecosystems have focused in recent years on the concept of "resilience." Traditional perspectives held that ecological systems exist close to a steady state and resilience is the ability of the system to return rapidly to that state following perturbation. However beginning with the work of C. S. Holling in the early 1970s, researchers began to look at conditions far from the steady state where instabilities can cause a system to shift into an entirely different regime of behavior, and where resilience is measured by the magnitude of disturbance that can be absorbed before the system is restructured. Resilience and the Behavior of Large-Scale Systems examines theories of resilience and change, offering readers a thorough understanding of how the properties of ecological resilience and human adaptability interact in complex, regional-scale systems. The book addresses the theoretical concepts of resilience and stability in large-scale ecosystems as well as the empirical application of those concepts in a diverse set of cases. In addition, it discusses the practical implications of the new theoretical approaches and their role in the sustainability of human-modified ecosystems. The book begins with a review of key properties of complex adaptive systems that contribute to overall resilience, including multiple equlibria, complexity, self-organization at multiple scales, and order; it also presents a set of mathematical metaphors to describe and deepen the reader's understanding of the ideas being discussed. Following the introduction are case studies that explore the biophysical dimensions of resilience in both terrestrial and aquatic systems and evaluate the propositions presented in the introductory chapters. The book concludes with a synthesis section that revisits propositions in light of the case studies, while an appendix presents a detailed account of the relationship between return times for a disturbed system and its resilienc. In addition to the editors, contributors include Stephen R. Carpenter, Carl Folke, C. S. Holling, Bengt-Owe Jansson, Donald Ludwig, Ariel Lugo, Tim R. McClanahan, Garry D. Peterson, and Brian H. Walker.

Download or read book Coral Reef Fishes written by Peter F. Sale and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2002-05-15 with total page 567 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Encyclopedia of Insects is a comprehensive work devoted to all aspects of insects, including their anatomy, physiology, evolution, behavior, reproduction, ecology, and disease, as well as issues of exploitation, conservation, and management. Articles provide definitive facts about all insects from aphids, beetles and butterflies to weevils and yellowjackets. Insects are beautiful and dreadful, ravenous pests and devastating disease vectors, resilient and resistant to eradication, and the source of great benefit and great loss for civilization. Important for ecosystem health, they have infl.

Download or read book The Great Barrier Reef written by Pat Hutchings and published by CSIRO PUBLISHING. This book was released on 2008-11-07 with total page 396 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is 344 400 square kilometres in size and is home to one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. This comprehensive guide describes the organisms and ecosystems of the Great Barrier Reef, as well as the biological, chemical and physical processes that influence them. Contemporary pressing issues such as climate change, coral bleaching, coral disease and the challenges of coral reef fisheries are also discussed. In addition,the book includes a field guide that will help people to identify the common animals and plants on the reef, then to delve into the book to learn more about the roles the biota play. Beautifully illustrated and with contributions from 33 international experts, The Great Barrier Reef is a must-read for the interested reef tourist, student, researcher and environmental manager. While it has an Australian focus, it can equally be used as a baseline text for most Indo-Pacific coral reefs. Winner of a Whitley Certificate of Commendation for 2009.

Download or read book Physical Oceanography in Coral Reef Environments written by Justin Scott Rogers and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This dissertation investigates the physical oceanography of coral reef environments, specifically focusing on waves and mean flows at small and large scales. At small scales of order ten to a hundred meters, the role of spur and groove formations and their interaction with surface waves and mean flow is examined. Spur-and-groove formations are found on the fore reefs of many coral reefs worldwide. Although these formations are primarily present in wave-dominated environments, their effect on wave-driven hydrodynamics is not well understood. A two-dimensional, depth-averaged, phase-resolving non-linear Boussinesq model (funwaveC) was used to model hydrodynamics on a simplified spur-and-groove system. The modeling results show that the spur-and-groove formations together with shoaling waves induce a nearshore Lagrangian circulation pattern of counter-rotating circulation cells. We present results from two separate field studies of SAG formations on Palmyra Atoll which show their effect on waves to be small, but reveal a persistent order 1 cm/s depth-averaged Lagrangian offshore flow over the spur and onshore flow over the grooves. This circulation was stronger for larger, directly-incident waves and low alongshore flow conditions, consistent with predictions from modeling. Vertical flow was downward over the spur and upward over the groove, likely driven by alongshore differences in bottom stress and not by vortex forcing. We suggest that the conditions for coral recruitment and growth appear to be more favorable on the spur than the groove due to (1) higher "food" supply from higher mean alongshore velocity, downward vertical velocity, and higher turbulence, and (2) lower sediment accumulation due to higher and more variable bottom shear stress. At large scales of order hundreds of meters to kilometers, the wave and mean flow dynamics of a pacific atoll are investigated. We report field measurements of waves and currents made from Sept-2011 to Jul-2014 on Palmyra Atoll in the Central Pacific that were used in conjunction with a coupled wave and three-dimensional hydrodynamic model (COAWST) to characterize the waves and hydrodynamics operant on the atoll. Bottom friction, modeled with a modified bottom roughness formulation, is the significant source of wave energy dissipation on the atoll, a result that is consistent with available observations of wave damping on Palmyra. Indeed observed and modeled dissipation rates are an order of magnitude larger than what has been observed on other, less geometrically complex reefs. At the scale of the atoll itself, strong regional flows create flow separation and a well-defined wake, similar to the classic fluid mechanics problem of flow past a cylinder. Circulation within the atoll is primarily governed by tides and waves, and secondarily by wind and regional currents. Tidally driven flow is important at all field sites, and the tidal phasing experiences significant delay with travel into the interior lagoons. Wave driven flow is significant at most of the field sites, and is a strong function of the dominant wave direction. Wind driven flow is generally weak, except on the shallow terraces. The near bed squared wave velocity, a proxy for bottom stress, shows strong spatial variability across the atoll and exerts control over geomorphic structure and high coral cover. Based on Lagrangian float tracks, the mean age was the best predictor of geomorphic structure and appears to clearly differentiate the geomorphic structures. While high mean flow appears to differentiate very productive coral regions, low water age and low temperature appear to be the most important variables for distinguishing between biological cover types at this site. The sites with high coral cover can have high diurnal temperature variability, but their average weekly temperature variability is similar to offshore waters. The mechanism for maintaining this low mean temperature is high mean advection, which occurs at timescales of a week, and is primarily governed by wave driven flows. The resulting connectivity within the atoll system shows that the general trends follow the mean flow paths; however, some connectivity exists between all regions of the atoll system.

Download or read book Boundary Layer Dynamics in Coral Reef Systems written by Matthew Abraham Reidenbach and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 526 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Coral Reefs at the Crossroads written by Dennis K. Hubbard and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-07-27 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this book, contributors from diverse backgrounds take a first step toward an integrated view of reefs and the significance of their recent decline. More than any other earth system, coral reefs sit at a disciplinary crossroads. Most recently, they have reached another crossroads - fundamental changes in their bio-physical structure greater than those of previous centuries or even millennia. Effective strategies to mitigate recent trends will require an approach that embraces the myriad perspectives from across the scientific landscape, but will also need a mechanism to transform scientific understanding into social will and political implementation.

Download or read book Resilience and the Behavior of Large Scale Systems written by Lance H. Gunderson and published by . This book was released on 2002-10 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Scientists and researchers concerned with the behavior of large ecosystems have focused in recent years on the concept of "resilience." Traditional perspectives held that ecological systems exist close to a steady state and resilience is the ability of the system to return rapidly to that state following perturbation. However beginning with the work of C. S. Holling in the early 1970s, researchers began to look at conditions far from the steady state where instabilities can cause a system to shift into an entirely different regime of behavior, and where resilience is measured by the magnitude of disturbance that can be absorbed before the system is restructured. Resilience and the Behavior of Large-Scale Systems examines theories of resilience and change, offering readers a thorough understanding of how the properties of ecological resilience and human adaptability interact in complex, regional-scale systems. The book addresses the theoretical concepts of resilience and stability in large-scale ecosystems as well as the empirical application of those concepts in a diverse set of cases. In addition, it discusses the practical implications of the new theoretical approaches and their role in the sustainability of human-modified ecosystems. The book begins with a review of key properties of complex adaptive systems that contribute to overall resilience, including multiple equlibria, complexity, self-organization at multiple scales, and order; it also presents a set of mathematical metaphors to describe and deepen the reader's understanding of the ideas being discussed. Following the introduction are case studies that explore the biophysical dimensions of resilience in both terrestrial and aquatic systems and evaluate the propositions presented in the introductory chapters. The book concludes with a synthesis section that revisits propositions in light of the case studies, while an appendix presents a detailed account of the relationship between return times for a disturbed system and its resilienc. In addition to the editors, contributors include Stephen R. Carpenter, Carl Folke, C. S. Holling, Bengt-Owe Jansson, Donald Ludwig, Ariel Lugo, Tim R. McClanahan, Garry D. Peterson, and Brian H. Walker.

Download or read book Waves and Flows on Coral Reefs written by Mathilde Lindhart and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Coral reefs worldwide are under significant pressure from anthropogenic stressors, including climate change. The threat is large scale and global, and thus the response must be, too. Scientists address the subject from a myriad of fields such as biology, ecology, chemistry, acoustics, socio-economics, cultural studies, and public policy, to name a few. This dissertation is concerned with the physics of coral reefs, specifically the physics of flows around reefs. Reefs rely on outside forces such as winds, tides, and waves to circulate water and govern their physical environment, and thus, changes in the hydrodynamics can change important environmental parameters such as temperature and nutrient availability. Reefs are complex and no two reefs are the same, and while the study of reef hydrodynamics draws on older, more established fields such as coastal engineering, reefs are not simply oddly shaped beaches, and they pose their unique questions and challenges. One such challenge is the complicated geometry of reefs; steep fore reefs, shallow reef flats, spurs and grooves, channels and lagoons. Another is that reefs are orders of magnitude more rough than a sandy beach. The first part of this dissertation addresses the establishment of a framework to analyze and compare reefs in terms of their dynamical regimes, i.e., the dominant forcing and resulting circulation patterns. In this framework, two end members are suggested; the open reef, which can be described in terms of open channel flow, and the closed reef, which is similar to what we observe on beaches. The first chapter of the dissertation defines these concepts and relies on numerical modeling to support why the distinction is meaningful. Given that roughness is a defining feature of coral reefs compared to other coastal environments, Chapters 2 and 3 address the role of roughness in reef flow and to which extent we can measure roughness in the field. Intuitively, we think of roughness and friction as opposing forces that slow down or impede motion, and thus higher roughness would be a detriment to efficient circulation. However, Chapter 2 shows that for certain reefs, high roughness in fact facilitates efficient flushing and low residence times. The dynamics in this case are that of an open reef. In comparison, a reef with lower roughness (e.g., a reef with high mortality or significant physical damage from a storm) is less efficient at circulating and renewing water. The dynamics in these models were more similar to a closed reef. Having established the importance of roughness, Chapter 3 presents on a two-week study at Salomon Atoll, Chagos, in the Indian Ocean, to investigate how reliable our estimates of roughness are. Presuming that a reef has a roughness parameter associated with it, we should be able to quantify it. Our results should be reproducible and not depend in the exact instrument configuration or method of analysis, i.e., two observers inspecting the same phenomena should come to similar conclusions. We show that across four different, commonly used instrument types, deployed in different locations on the reef, and using multiple analytical approaches, the results are largely independent of the method used. However, the results do show that what one observed depends on where one looks. That is, instruments that measure over a small volume, close to the corals will be influenced by small-scale flow features and measure more local effects, whereas instruments that span the entire water column and average over these fluctuations tend to measure aggregate reef effects. Finally, continuing the reflections of the previous chapter, Chapter 4 is a commentary on methods often used to estimate wave exposure on coral reefs within the oceanographic community. As mentioned previously, coral reefs are complex systems with multifaceted threats that require interdisciplinary solutions spanning life, physical, and social sciences. This chapter challenges the use of a method to estimate wave exposure commonly used in ecology and biology, and largely retired in physical oceanography. However, the intention is not to deter interdisciplinary work, but to encourage the use of newer, more accurate methods to further our understanding of the future of coral reefs.

Download or read book Companion Modelling written by Michel Étienne and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-12-16 with total page 403 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book introduces the companion modelling approach by presenting the stance that underpins it, the methods and tools used with stakeholders and the specific role of models during the process. It addresses the means to deal with the different levels of decision-making and to take into account the various power relationships. It proposes a methodology to assess the impact of the approach on the stakeholders involved in the process. The book includes 27 case studies and 7 teaching tools that describe the successful use of the approach in a variety of settings or teaching contexts. It is intended for researchers working on rural development or renewable resources management, as well as students and teachers.

Download or read book A Decision Framework for Interventions to Increase the Persistence and Resilience of Coral Reefs written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2019-08-29 with total page 213 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Coral reefs are critical to ocean and human life because they provide food, living area, storm protection, tourism income, and more. However, human-induced stressors, such as overfishing, sediment, pollution, and habitat destruction have threatened ocean ecosystems globally for decades. In the face of climate change, these ecosystems now face an array of unfamiliar challenges due to destructive rises in ocean temperature, acidity and sea level. These factors lead to an increased frequency of bleaching events, hindered growth, and a decreasing rate of calcification. Research on interventions to combat these relatively new stressors and a reevaluation of longstanding interventions is necessary to understand and protect coral reefs in this changing climate. Previous research on these methods prompts further questions regarding the decision making process for site-specific interventions. A Decision Framework for Interventions to Increase the Persistence and Resilience of Coral Reefs builds upon a previous report that reviews the state of research on methods that have been used, tested, or proposed to increase the resilience of coral reefs. This new report aims to help coral managers evaluate the specific needs of their site and navigate the 23 different interventions described in the previous report. A case study of the Caribbean, a region with low coral population plagued by disease, serves as an example for coral intervention decision making. This report provides complex coral management decision making tools, identifies gaps in coral biology and conservation research, and provides examples to help individuals and communities tailor a decision strategy to a local area.

Download or read book A Tale of Two Reefs written by Samantha Allysa Maticka and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Coral reefs are some of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet and serve as natural breakwaters that protect our coasts from storm impacts. Due to their sessile nature, corals' ability to thrive is at the mercy of their physical environment; flow rates, temperature, and flushing of the water that surround them determine their health. In the past 6 thousand years with relatively stable sea level, coral have adapted to the changing ocean, but anthropogenic influence has led to oceanic changes at accelerated rates, which raises the question `how will reefs fair with the changing climate?' To answer this question, we first need to understand the physics that drive flow in reef systems. We can then apply this fundamental understanding to models that can forecast their future state. This dissertation reports field experiments that were conducted at two different reefs, in both cases with the goal of understanding their fundamental flow dynamics. These were: (1) a fringing reef in Ofu, American Samoa that is notable for being more hydrodynamically rough than are most fringing reefs that have been previously studied and are home to heat resilient corals; and (2) Scott Reef, a reef atoll off the coast of Australia, where previous work has observed corals with remarkable ability to recover from severe bleaching. Ultimately, the Ofu project sought to understand how the high hydrodynamic roughness affected the flow dynamics in a fringing reef lagoon system. The work included: (1) lagoon-scale circulation dynamics; (2) wave-driven flow dynamics on the reef flat; and (3) wave transformations across shore. We observed lagoon-wide wave setup that led to: rip-currents and undertow across the reef flat; along-reef flow on the reef flat; and, a momentum balance on the reef flat that differed from what is commonly observed on reef flats in reef-lagoon systems. The momentum balance on the flat was between an offshore pressure gradient force, an onshore radiation stress gradient, and a depth varying shear stress that led to development of an undertow. Additional observations included: baroclinic flow in the channel generated by heating of the shallow lagoon that led to a cross-shore temperature gradient; a transfer of wave energy from high to low frequencies; examination of the mechanisms leading to energy dissipation of short waves at cross-shore stations; and, identification of a divergent circulation pattern that creates `pools' in the lagoon. These pools were initially observed by biologists to be regions in the lagoon that contain genetically distinct coral ecosystems. The project at South Scott reef was designed to understand the thermodynamics on the atoll rim. Additionally, and unexpectedly, flows across the rim were found to be due to amplification in the lagoon of the local tide. On the shallow rim of the atoll, we found the heat budget to be a balance of advective heating, surface atmospheric heating, and local heating (unsteadiness). The momentum balance was between bottom friction and a pressure gradient force that was set by the difference in free-surface elevation due to tidal amplification in the lagoon. Pulses of cold water were also observed to travel down the forereef slope (oceanside), with a generation mechanism linked to the shallow rim water cooling at night and being pushed off by tidal flow. Lastly, the lagoon amplification generated higher high tides and lower low tides in the lagoon that led to a reversed tidal flow on the rim, where the tide flooded outward (toward ocean) and ebbed inward (toward lagoon). The amplification was associated with the wide deep sill opening at the north end of South Scott reef that allowed tidal flow to enter without attenuation, which is often observed in reef atolls. The amplification in the free-surface was associated with the deceleration of tidal flow as it approached the atoll rim.

Download or read book Geological Approaches to Coral Reef Ecology written by Richard B. Aronson and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2007-03-09 with total page 457 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a unique perspective on the destruction - both natural and human-caused - of coral reef ecosystems. Reconstructing the ecological history of coral reefs, the authors evaluate whether recent dramatic changes are novel events or part of a long-term trend or cycle. The text combines principles of geophysics, paleontology, and marine sciences with real-time observation, examining the interacting causes of change: hurricane damage, predators, disease, rising sea-level, nutrient loading, global warming and ocean acidification. Predictions about the future of coral reefs inspire strategies for restoration and management of ecosystems. Useful for students and professionals in ecology and marine biology, including environmental managers.