MACROBIOEROSION RATES OF IN-SITU CORAL COLONIES: ST. JOHN, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

摘要

INTRODUCTION Over the past four decades, the extent and severity of coral reef decline has increased dramatically. Researchers have observed widespread phase shifts within reef ecosystems around the globe, with coral colonies being replaced by vast macroalgal communities (Gardener et al., 2003; Bellwood et al., 2004). In light of climate change and predictions of accelerated sea-level rise, the disappearance of the reef's primary carbonate producers at alarming rates has become increasingly disturbing. Structural complexity of reefs throughout the Caribbean has been greatly reduced since the 1970s (Alvarez-Filip et al., 2011), which has the potential to negatively impact reef organisms that depend on spatial complexity. One of the major questions facing reef scientists today is whether reefs will be able to adapt to accelerating environmental change.