St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center Research A Introduction Coral reefs provide important ecosystem services such as shoreline protection and the support of industries including fisheries and tourism. Such ecosystem services are being B compromised as reefs decline as a result of coral disease, climate change, , and pollution (fig. 1). There is a need for focused, integrated science to understand the complex Figure 3. A, Core ecological interactions and effects of sampling provides these many stressors and to provide information about information that will effectively guide coral growth rates policies and best management practices and geologic history. Photo to preserve and restore these important Figure 2. Black-band disease has infected credit: T.D. Hickey. resources. these coral colonies of strigosa, B, An x-ray of an important reef-building species. Photo a Montastraea Focus of Research credit: T.D. Hickey. faveolata core slab showing The U.S. Geological Survey such as habitat characterization and alternating light (USGS) Ecosystem distribution, coral disease, and trends in and dark layers STudies (CREST) Project specifically biogenic calcification and climate are (bands) that are the result of addresses priorities identified in the major focus areas. We seek to increase seasonal changes U.S. Geological Survey Circular the understanding of reef structure, in growth rate 1364, “Strategic science for coral ecological funtioning, and responses to and differences in ecosystems” (USGS, 2007). Research global change. skeletal density. Each high and low density includes a blend of historical, Specific research activities couplet represents 1 year of growth and can be used to determine the age of the monitoring, and process studies aimed include: at improving our understanding of coral by counting down the core from the known year it was sampled. the development, current status and • Characterizing coral-associated function, as well as likely future microbial communities and changes in coral ecosystems. Topics investigating disease and disease • Identifying response of coral reefs to processes (fig. 2) past and present climate and sea- level changes (fig. 3) • Mapping and characterizing coral reefs and critical benthic habitats used by endangered species (fig. 4) • Quantifying changes and trends in biogenic calcification in response to ocean warming, and changing ocean chemistry (fig. 5), and • Evaluating existing and future threats to coral reefs by increased Figure 1. Coral reef habitat (A) dominated by reef-building (Great Exuma, Bahamas) and (B) covered with non-calcifying fleshy algae (Europa Bay, U.S. Virgin Islands). Photo atmospheric carbon dioxide and credits: I.B. Kuffner. ocean acidification (fig. 6).

U.S. Department of the Interior Fact Sheet 2010–3103 Printed on recycled paper U.S. Geological Survey October 2010 E

Figure 4. Examples of Along Track Reef Imaging System (ATRIS) imagery collected in Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida showing bottom habitat with (A) the seagrass Thalassia testudinum, (B) identifiable colonies of fire coral and , (C) rubble consisting primarily of staghorn coral sticks, and (D) carbonate sands with tracks of benthic organisms (arrows). Photo credits: D.G. Zawada. (E) Shallow-ATRIS transect lines colored-coded by benthic habitat to describe endangered turtle habitat core-use areas as determined by tagging and tracking studies. The underlying map was excerpted from the free digital version of NOAA Raster Navigational Chart #11438, edition 13.

Relevance to Management Project activities primarily response to stressors and will provide focus on work related to the health datasets to predict future responses. and resilience of shallow-water reef environments in the Dry Tortugas, Current Activities and Results Virgin Islands, and Biscayne National Parks, and selected areas of the Florida Information on current activities Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The and project results are available on the ultimate goal of our research is to CREST Project web page. provide information and datasets that http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/crest/ will advance our ability to understand Figure 5. Calcification monitoring station cause and effect relationships between at Fowey Rocks Light, off Miami, with a environmental variables and reef References curious reef squid looking on. Photo credit: decline. The breadth of studies included T.D. Hickey. in this project will provide data on U.S. Geological Survey, 2007, Strategic past coral ecosystem functioning and science for coral ecosystems: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1364, 23 Figure 6. The chemical p. [also available at http://pubs.usgs. reactions associated gov/circ/1364/]. with biogenic genic Calci Bio fica calcification and tio Contact Information: carbonate sediment n Richard Z. Poore dissolution are Email: [email protected] reversible. Calcification PH: (727) 803-8747 x3131 occurs when calcium 2+ 2+ - (Ca ) combines with Ca + 2HCO3 Ilsa B. Kuffner Email: [email protected] bicarbonate (HCO3-) 2- OR CaCO + CO + H O PH: (727) 803-8747 x3048 or carbonate (CO3 ) to 3 2 2 form calcium carbonate 2+ 2- + Ca + 2CO + 2H Christina A. Kellogg (CaCO3), carbon dioxide 3 (CO ), and water (H O). Email: [email protected] 2 2 PH: (727) 803-8747 x3128 The reverse reaction C occurs when CO n 2 a io U.S. Geological Survey increases and seawater rb t on lu St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center pH decreases, resulting at so 600 4th Street South in dissolution of CaCO . e is St. Petersburg, FL 33701 3 Sediment D