{"id":11220,"date":"2019-10-07T16:15:55","date_gmt":"2019-10-07T14:15:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.univie.ac.at\/?p=11220"},"modified":"2019-10-07T16:15:56","modified_gmt":"2019-10-07T14:15:56","slug":"red-sea-coral-reefs-looking-for-hope-in-the-past","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.univie.ac.at\/en\/research\/red-sea-coral-reefs-looking-for-hope-in-the-past\/","title":{"rendered":"Red Sea coral reefs: looking for hope in the past"},"content":{"rendered":"

Biodiversity is decreasing as a consequence of climate change \u2013 not just on land, but also in the oceans. Especially coral reefs \u2013 the rainforests of the ocean \u2013 and their associated fauna are in immediate danger. Did they ever experience anything alike in the past and how will they continue to react in the future? Scientists at the Department of Paleontology<\/a> are looking for answers and training the next generation of marine scientists. Angelina Ivki\u0107 from the FWF research project \u201cRed Sea coral reefs: A Pleistocene-Recent comparison<\/a>\u201d on how to find out if there is hope for our coral reefs.<\/p>\n

Since my early childhood, spending all my summers on the Croatian coast, I have found the sea the most intriguing environment. Swimming and wondering what is happening in the vast depth below \u2013 there was never anything more exciting for me. Therefore, as soon as I was able to swim, I also started to snorkel. And I was not disappointed by what I found in the water: huge swarms of fish racing against each other, sea urchins grazing the ground, funny looking sea cucumbers crawling on the seafloor, hundreds of little snails on every stone and in every corner. The diversity I found has mesmerised me ever since. My natural development from there on was to get certified for scuba diving and start a career as a marine biologist. And soon I was lucky enough to dive among coral reefs \u2013<\/em> the most diverse marine spots in the world. While the diversity and beauty I found there was astonishing, I also found bleached and dead coral reefs hosting very little marine life at all. How did this happen to such an impressive structure, I asked myself. And more importantly: Is it going to continue and what will remain of our coral reefs?<\/p>\n

The loss of an important partner<\/h2>\n
\"Korallenriff<\/a>
A modern Red Sea coral reef in the vicinity of Marsa Alam, Egypt.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The cause of the bleaching and consequent death of corals is climate change. The emission of CO2<\/sub> leads to a global increase in temperatures due to the greenhouse effect, and part of the heat is absorbed by the ocean, which also causes the ocean temperatures to rise. Consequently, corals expel their photosymbiotic partners, the zooxanthellae, which leads to the white skeleton being exposed, a process called \u201ccoral bleaching\u201d. If the temperatures stay high and the zooxanthellae are not able to return to the coral host, the coral animal dies and only the calcified skeletons remain.<\/p>\n

Another consequence of higher ocean temperatures is an increase in diseases that kill corals. This implies that coral reefs are at immediate risk as long as temperatures keep rising. To understand the exact responses of the corals and the time remaining to save what is left of the biodiversity hotspots of the ocean, we have to take into account biological adaptation. Corals are sometimes able to acquire new, more temperature-resistant zooxanthellae after bleaching. Furthermore, it has been suggested that they will extend their biogeographic range further north and south, where temperatures are lower than at the equator. So, is there hope for our coral reefs?<\/p>\n

Past or future?<\/h2>\n
\"Ein<\/a>
A fossil reef in the vicinity of Marsa Alam, Egypt.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The past is a key element in answering this question. We can explore periods in the past with higher temperatures but similar species compositions to understand the possible behaviour of corals in the future. Were they able to adapt or did biodiversity simply decrease? Did they \u201cmove\u201d further north or south during past warm climates? Additionally, the past allows us to determine which factors played together in the recent decrease of corals. What is the role of reef fish? How did the corals respond to increased nutrient inputs in the past?<\/p>\n

With our FWF project we aim to answer some of these questions based for the example of the coral reefs of the Red Sea. Austrian research in the Red Sea has a long-standing history, starting with the famous diving pioneer Hans Hass in the 1940s and continuing to today. For our project, we are collaborating with international researchers to compare fossil and recent coral reefs along a latitudinal gradient in the Red Sea.<\/p>\n

\"\u00c4gyptische<\/a>
Egyptian colleagues are showing the team from the University of Vienna their geological maps from the sampling region.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Pleistocene interglacial period MIS5e (Eemian) around 125,000 years ago had slightly warmer temperatures than today. Therefore, the Eemian can serve as an analogue for climatic conditions expected in our recent future. At that time, coral composition was very similar to that of today. Therefore, studying the fossil coral reefs and their distribution and abundance will allow interpretations about the future of corals in the Red Sea. Moreover, we can investigate potential biogeographic shifts along a latitudinal gradient. Additionally, sediment cores will enable us to reconstruct changes that have already occurred within the last decades and centuries. Using all available information, a modelling approach will enable us to determine future areas of coral hotspots in a warmer Red Sea.<\/p>\n

Long-term solutions<\/h2>\n

In the long run, we have to find possibilities to decrease our carbon emissions and continue to raise public awareness of the consequences of a warming climate due to anthropogenic CO2<\/sub> emissions. Projects such as ours can improve the knowledge on adaptation mechanisms and determine areas that will be coral hotspots in the recent future. The protection of future hotspot areas against additional pressures such as fishing and nutrient input can increase the potential for the long-term survival of coral reefs until temperatures are reduced.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, it is necessary to identify the coral species as precisely as possible to avoid biases that would mislead our interpretations. The principal investigator of the project, Professor Martin Zuschin,<\/a> will offer lectures on coral reef biology and geology, as well as field courses to the Red Sea aimed at training the next generation of nature enthusiasts and scientists during the next semesters. For further updates and information about the project and the courses, please visit our homepage.<\/a><\/p>\n

📌 Angelinas article is part of the Semester question 2019\/20: “How can we protect biodiversity?”. Read more articles from researchers of the University of Vienna at uni:view<\/a>.\u00a0<\/a><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How did coral reefs respond to warmer climate periods in the past? A research team of the University of Vienna wants to find out at the Egyptian Red Sea.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":17812,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[589],"tags":[835,836,659],"class_list":["post-11220","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research","tag-biodiversity","tag-climate","tag-semester-question"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nRed Sea coral reefs: looking for hope in the past - The univie Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How did coral reefs respond to warmer climate periods in the past? 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