Coral Reef Monitoring for Climate Change Impacts

(5) Environmental conditions for Healthy Coral reefs:

1.Low rates of sedimentation:

<1 to 10 mg/cm/day.

2.Water Temperature: 23 - 30º C.

3.Low concentrations of organic & inorganic nutrient.

4. Salinity : 25 to 40 p.p.t.

5.Shielded form excessive levels of

UV-B radiation.

TEMPERATURE.

•Corals live near to their upper lethal temperature limit e.g

e.g. Jamaica – 29.2 º C

e.g.Great Barrier Reef - 30º C

•Transient temperature increases may prove lethal.


	•These natural functions and services can only be provide if coral reefs are healthy.
	The optimal environmental conditions under which corals are able to function are
	well defined.
	•Once environmental parameters pass beyond the optimal ranges, the growth,health,
	reproductive capacity, recruitment and longevity of corals are adversely effected.
	Since corals are the fundamental component of corals reefs, compromise to the
	vitality of the individual coral will compromise the vitality of the coral reef.
	•TEMP LIMITS: Ove Hoeg-Guldberg (1999).
	•Although natural phenomena such as storms and hurricanes cause significant damage
	Coral reefs, it is the activities of humans that that are threatening the survival of the
	worlds reefs by forcing environmental parameters outside
	of the range for their optimal range for prolonged periods of time.

	•It is the biological integrity of a coral reef system that enables it to support
	and maintain a balanced, integrated, and adaptive biological system having
	the full range of elements and processes expected for a region
	(Jameson, S.C. et al, 2000), and hence, the ability to deliver the services and
	functions described on the previous slide..