Effects of Environment and Life History Strategy on Coral Reproductive Success - read free eBook in online reader or directly download on the web page. Select files or add your book in reader. Download and read online ebook Effects of Environment and Life History Strategy on Coral Reproductive Success write by Aaron C. Hartmann. This book was released on 2014. Effects of Environment and Life History Strategy on Coral Reproductive Success available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Coral reefs are threatened worldwide due to anthropogenic activities resulting in the loss of these ecosystems at an alarming rate. In this dissertation I build upon fundamental ecological theory related to early life history characters in order to identify factors affecting coral reproductive success in response to environmental change. I found that apparently healthy corals on degraded reefs contained lower energetic lipid content than conspecifics on healthy reefs within the island of Curacao, which contains some of the Caribbean's healthiest coral reefs. This work also revealed that populations differed in the number of offspring produced, highlighting reef-specific differences in reproductive potential. Motivated by observed variation in offspring size within and among species, I found that large size enhanced larval survival, yet unexpectedly did not afford larvae greater tolerance of harsh environmental conditions. Surprisingly, a species that produces large larvae and tolerates marginal environmental conditions as adults was particularly sensitive to environmental stress during the larval stage. I concluded that this difference arose due to the presence of symbiotic algae in larvae of this species. I subsequently determined that the uptake of symbionts during the larval stage led to disadvantageous behaviors and gene expression patterns. Furthermore, symbionts did not provide energy to larvae, as they do in adults. These results led me to theorize that the timing of symbiont acquisition is most optimal when it occurs around the time larvae locate cues for metamorphosing into an adult body form. To substantiate my theory in an evolutionary context, I performed a character trait reconstruction with the known phylogeny of reef corals. Evolutionary transition rates differed depending on whether a species transfers symbionts directly to larvae or obtains them from the environment. The loss of direct transmission correlated with transitions from high to low bleaching susceptibility in adult corals, suggesting a previously unknown evolutionary transition that favors environmental tolerance. In summary, my work contributes to general understanding of how larval characters and early life history strategies affect survival and fitness in corals, and offers insights into the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms by which larval corals respond to human-induced environmental change.
Life History and Reproductive Success of a Broadcast-spawning Gorgonian Coral and Implications for Conservation Biology
Life History and Reproductive Success of a Broadcast-spawning Gorgonian Coral and Implications for Conservation Biology - read free eBook in online reader or directly download on the web page. Select files or add your book in reader. Download and read online ebook Life History and Reproductive Success of a Broadcast-spawning Gorgonian Coral and Implications for Conservation Biology write by Elizabeth A. Beiring. This book was released on 1997. Life History and Reproductive Success of a Broadcast-spawning Gorgonian Coral and Implications for Conservation Biology available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle.
Ocean Acidification
Ocean Acidification - read free eBook in online reader or directly download on the web page. Select files or add your book in reader. Download and read online ebook Ocean Acidification write by National Research Council. This book was released on 2010-09-14. Ocean Acidification available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. The ocean has absorbed a significant portion of all human-made carbon dioxide emissions. This benefits human society by moderating the rate of climate change, but also causes unprecedented changes to ocean chemistry. Carbon dioxide taken up by the ocean decreases the pH of the water and leads to a suite of chemical changes collectively known as ocean acidification. The long term consequences of ocean acidification are not known, but are expected to result in changes to many ecosystems and the services they provide to society. Ocean Acidification: A National Strategy to Meet the Challenges of a Changing Ocean reviews the current state of knowledge, explores gaps in understanding, and identifies several key findings. Like climate change, ocean acidification is a growing global problem that will intensify with continued CO2 emissions and has the potential to change marine ecosystems and affect benefits to society. The federal government has taken positive initial steps by developing a national ocean acidification program, but more information is needed to fully understand and address the threat that ocean acidification may pose to marine ecosystems and the services they provide. In addition, a global observation network of chemical and biological sensors is needed to monitor changes in ocean conditions attributable to acidification.
A Research Review of Interventions to Increase the Persistence and Resilience of Coral Reefs
A Research Review of Interventions to Increase the Persistence and Resilience of Coral Reefs - read free eBook in online reader or directly download on the web page. Select files or add your book in reader. Download and read online ebook A Research Review of Interventions to Increase the Persistence and Resilience of Coral Reefs write by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. This book was released on 2019-05-05. A Research Review of Interventions to Increase the Persistence and Resilience of Coral Reefs available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Coral reef declines have been recorded for all major tropical ocean basins since the 1980s, averaging approximately 30-50% reductions in reef cover globally. These losses are a result of numerous problems, including habitat destruction, pollution, overfishing, disease, and climate change. Greenhouse gas emissions and the associated increases in ocean temperature and carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations have been implicated in increased reports of coral bleaching, disease outbreaks, and ocean acidification (OA). For the hundreds of millions of people who depend on reefs for food or livelihoods, the thousands of communities that depend on reefs for wave protection, the people whose cultural practices are tied to reef resources, and the many economies that depend on reefs for fisheries or tourism, the health and maintenance of this major global ecosystem is crucial. A growing body of research on coral physiology, ecology, molecular biology, and responses to stress has revealed potential tools to increase coral resilience. Some of this knowledge is poised to provide practical interventions in the short-term, whereas other discoveries are poised to facilitate research that may later open the doors to additional interventions. A Research Review of Interventions to Increase the Persistence and Resilience of Coral Reefs reviews the state of science on genetic, ecological, and environmental interventions meant to enhance the persistence and resilience of coral reefs. The complex nature of corals and their associated microbiome lends itself to a wide range of possible approaches. This first report provides a summary of currently available information on the range of interventions present in the scientific literature and provides a basis for the forthcoming final report.
The Life History and Reproductive Success of the Coral Blenny, Exallias Brevis (Kner, 1868)
The Life History and Reproductive Success of the Coral Blenny, Exallias Brevis (Kner, 1868) - read free eBook in online reader or directly download on the web page. Select files or add your book in reader. Download and read online ebook The Life History and Reproductive Success of the Coral Blenny, Exallias Brevis (Kner, 1868) write by Bruce A. Carlson. This book was released on 1992. The Life History and Reproductive Success of the Coral Blenny, Exallias Brevis (Kner, 1868) available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle.
