Hurricanes benefit bleached corals
- Derek P. Manzello*,†,‡,
- Marilyn Brandt†,
- Tyler B. Smith§,
- Diego Lirman†,
- James C. Hendee*, and
- Richard S. Nemeth§
- *Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 4301 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149;
- †Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149; and
- §Center for Marine and Environmental Studies, University of the Virgin Islands, 2 John Brewer's Bay, St. Thomas, VI 00802
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Edited by Erica Hendy, Columbia University, New York, NY, and accepted by the Editorial Board June 7, 2007 (received for review February 9, 2007)
Abstract
Recent, global mass-mortalities of reef corals due to record warm sea temperatures have led researchers to consider global warming as one of the most significant threats to the persistence of coral reef ecosystems. The passage of a hurricane can alleviate thermal stress on coral reefs, highlighting the potential for hurricane-associated cooling to mitigate climate change impacts. We provide evidence that hurricane-induced cooling was responsible for the documented differences in the extent and recovery time of coral bleaching between the Florida Reef Tract and the U.S. Virgin Islands during the Caribbean-wide 2005 bleaching event. These results are the only known scenario where the effects of a hurricane can benefit a stressed marine community.
Footnotes
- ‡To whom correspondence should be sent at the ∗ address. E-mail: derek.manzello{at}noaa.gov
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Author contributions: M.B., T.B.S., and R.S.N. performed research; D.P.M., M.B., T.B.S., D.L., and J.C.H. analyzed data; and D.P.M. and M.B. wrote the paper.
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The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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This article is a PNAS Direct Submission. E.H. is a guest editor invited by the Editorial Board.
- Abbreviations:
- Δ°C,
- magnitude of cooling;
- USVI,
- U.S. Virgin Islands;
- DHW,
- degree heating weeks;
- NOAA,
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
- © 2007 by The National Academy of Sciences of the USA
