Investigating the impact of a major hurricane on larval exchanges and disease propagation in Florida
(2022) REEF CONSERVATION UK 2022 — Location: London (3.December.2022)
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- et. al.
- Abstract
- Climate change poses an existential threat to coral reefs. A warmer and more acidic ocean reduces the resilience of coral ecosystems and increases the intensity of hurricanes. The wind-wave-current interactions during a hurricane deeply change the ocean circulation patterns and hence affect the dispersal of coral larvae and disease agents. Here we assessed the impact of major hurricane Irma on coral and disease connectivity in the Florida Reef Tract. We coupled high-resolution coastal ocean circulation and wave models to simulate the dispersal of virtual coral larvae and disease agents between thousands of reefs. While being a brief event, the passage of the hurricane significantly increased the probability of long-distance exchanges, creates new connections, and reshuffles the usual community structure. Hurricanes can therefore both promote coral resilience by diversifying larval exchanges but also speed-up the propagation of coral diseases. As they become more intense and probably more frequent, hurricanes will increase variability within coral ecosystems and make their management less predictable.
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Citations
Dobbelaere, T., & et al. (2022). Investigating the impact of a major hurricane on larval exchanges and disease propagation in Florida. REEF CONSERVATION UK 2022, London. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/104396