Volume 71
Reef Resilience and Assisted Evolution: What Do These Terms Mean for Belize, and What Role Do Coral Restoration Efforts Play? A Review of the 2017 Bleaching Event With This in Mind, and With Historical Context
Authors
Lisa Carne;National Coral Reef Monitoring Network Download PDF Open PDF in BrowserOther Information
Date: November, 2018
Pages: 93-97
Event: Proceedings of the Seventy Annual Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute
City: San Andres Island
Country: Colombia
Abstract
Belize experienced a severe coral bleaching event in 2017. How severe was it? How do we compare to previous years and how do we plan for future events? Shared here are the bleaching results for over 20 sites in Belize, compared to previous years going back to 2008, coupled with in situ temperature data 2009 - 2017 (where available). Also shared here is what we know, and what we still dont know, in terms of corals resilience (e.g. coral host and symbiont genetics), and what evidence we have for adaptation to higher temperatures in the context of reef restoration efforts, ongoing for over a decade now in southern Belize. Specifically, are some shallow acroporids now more temperature tolerant than other coral species, when once they were most susceptible? What are the applied management strategies we can implement to improve Belizes resilience to future bleaching events?