CoralCoral ReefsReefs FromFrom MartinMartin CountyCounty toto thethe DryDry Tortugas:Tortugas: AnAn OverviewOverview

BrianBrian D.D. KellerKeller11 andand WilliamWilliam F.F. PrechtPrecht22

11SoutheastSoutheast RegionalRegional ScienceScience CoordinatorCoordinator OfficeOffice ofof NationalNational MarineMarine SanctuariesSanctuaries

22DamageDamage AssessmentAssessment andand RestorationRestoration ProgramProgram ManagerManager FloridaFlorida KeysKeys NationalNational MarineMarine SanctuarySanctuary PerspectivesPerspectives •• Spatial:Spatial: variationvariation amongamong somesome coralcoral reefreef systemssystems ofof thethe greatergreater CaribbeanCaribbean (&(& Australia)Australia) •• Temporal:Temporal: thethe FloridaFlorida ReefReef TractTract overover thethe pastpast ~125,000~125,000 yearsyears andand recentrecent “““shiftingshiftingshifting Southeast Florida baselinesbaselinesbaselines””” •• ManagementManagement Implications:Implications: reducereduce humanhuman impacts,impacts, anticipateanticipate Florida Keys furtherfurther changeschanges The Great Barrier • ~ 3,000 separate reefs • over 900 islands

G B R M P b o u n d a r y

Princess Charlotte Bay Lizard Island

0 80 Kilometers

Cape Flattery Courtesy J. Day MesoamericanMesoamerican BarrierBarrier Reef:Reef:

Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico

5 km MMesoamericanesoamerican BBarrierarrier RReeReef:eeff:: AmbergrisAmbergris CayeCayeCaye,,, BelizeBelize

5 km DiscoveryDiscovery Bay,Bay, St.St. Ann,Ann, JamaicaJamaica

Fringing Reefs

1 km EastEast CubaCuba

5 km TheThe FloridaFlorida Keys:Keys: BankBankBank-Barrier--BarrierBarrier ReefReef SystemSystem

Looe Key Reef

oals an Sh eric Am , and land bos ary Sam an, M The Pelic http://strata.geol.sc.edu/florida/pages/012-Florida- Reef-Tract-National-Geographic.html 5 km SoutheastSoutheast Florida:Florida: RelictRelict ReefsReefs andand LithifiedLithified SandSand RidgesRidges

2 km FloridaFlorida ReefReef TractTract

•• NorthernNorthern limitlimit ofof coralcoral reefreef growthgrowth inin thethe greatergreater CaribbeanCaribbean •• SameSame coralcoral speciesspecies –– structuralstructural similaritiessimilarities andand differencedifference –– GulfGulf ofof MexicoMexico effectseffects •• ImmediatelyImmediately adjacentadjacent toto ~6~6 millionmillion peoplepeople •• SESE Florida:Florida: coastalcoastal developmentdevelopment andand allall thatthat entailsentails –– beachbeach renourishment,renourishment, sewagesewage •• TheThe Keys:Keys: ~3~3~3-4--44 millionmillion visitorsvisitors annuallyannually andand allall thatthat entailsentails DevelopmentDevelopment ofof thethe FloridaFlorida ReefReef TractTract overover thethe pastpast ~125,000~125,000 yearsyears SeaSeaSea-level--levellevel FluctuationsFluctuations

http://www.teachingboxes.org/seaLevel/lessons/lesson4_SeaLevelCurveGraph.htm Sea Level ~125,000 Years Ago

? Ooid Loop Current tidal displaced offshore bars

Reef Ooid system tidal bars (Upper & Middle Keys) WindleyWindley KeyKey Quarry/FossilQuarry/Fossil ReefReef GeologicalGeological StateState ParkPark

No A. palmata, little A. cervicornis (Precht and Miller 2006)

http://strata.geol.sc.edu/florida/ pages/082-Windley-Key-Quarry- Pleistocene.html Sea Level ~125,000 Years Ago

Ooid Stronger influence of Gulf tidal waters on reefs bars

Ooid Reef tidal bars system Nevertheless, head thrived.

Shinn 2001 MiamiMiami OoliteOoliteOolite,,, BiscayneBiscayne Blvd.Blvd.

http://strata.geol.sc.edu/florida/pages/092-Miami-Oolite- Pleistocene-Biscayne-Blvd.html AfterAfter episodesepisodes ofof reefreef growthgrowth therethere waswas aa longlong periodperiod ofof relativelyrelatively lowlow seasea levellevel (red(red line)line) andand exposureexposure ofof thethe FloridaFlorida ContinentalContinental ShelfShelf

~68,000 years of exposure of FL Shelf TheThe extentextent ofof thethe seasea-level-level lowlow-stand-stand duringduring thethe LastLast GlacialGlacial MaximumMaximum (~20(~20-18-18 thousandthousand yearsyears ago);ago); ~120~120 mm lowerlower thanthan present.present.

Courtesy A. Hine (USF) Lidz 2006 AsAs thethe raterate ofof seaseasea-level--levellevel riserise slowedslowed ~6,000~6,000 yearsyears ago,ago, modernmodern reefsreefs startedstarted growinggrowing inin thethe KeysKeys –– thisthis timetime AcroporaAcropora waswas aa dominantdominant

There was no direct connection to the Gulf of Mexico and no Florida Bay… Lidz 2006 ButBut thatthat isolationisolation waswas notnot toto last.last.

Shinn 2001 Shinn 2001

Meanwhile, to the north… SpurSpurSpur-and-groove,--andand--groove,groove, elkhornelkhornelkhorn-dominated--dominateddominated reefsreefs startedstarted toto growgrow alongalong thethe shoreshore ofof SoutheastSoutheast FloridaFlorida –– thousandsthousands ofof yearsyears earlierearlier thanthan inin thethe KeysKeys

Idealized cross-section of ridges off Broward County

From Precht et al. 2000; Precht & Aronson 2004; after Lighty et al. 1978 This reef tract extended from Biscayne Bay to offshore of Riviera Beach: 128 km!!

Banks et al. 2007 Banks et al. 2007 Banks et al. 2007 FloridaFlorida ReefReef TractTract •• FromFrom aa geologicalgeological perspective,perspective, thethe FloridaFlorida ReefReef TractTract hashas developeddeveloped fromfrom timetime toto timetime overover thethe pastpast ~125,000~125,000 years,years, onlyonly toto becomebecome drowneddrowned byby risingrising seasea levelslevels oror exposedexposed duringduring lowlow seasea levelslevels •• However,However, unprecedentedunprecedented thingsthings –– eveneven fromfrom aa geologicalgeological perspectiveperspective -- startedstarted toto occuroccur aboutabout 3030 yearsyears agoago onon aa CaribbeanCaribbean--- widewide scalescale ExamplesExamples ofof thethe “““shiftingshiftingshifting baselinesbaselines syndromesyndromesyndrome””” (( (PaulyPaulyPauly 1995)1995) inin thethe greatergreater CaribbeanCaribbean

“Shifting baselines are the chronic, slow, hard-to-notice changes in things, from the disappearance of birds and frogs in the countryside to the increased drive time from L.A. to San Diego.” R. Olson 2002

http://www.shiftingbaselines.org/ ““ShiftingShifting BaselineBaseline”” 11

Acropora Die-off: Late 1970s – 1980s Elkhorn

Staghorn coral

Courtesy S. Miller ““ShiftingShifting BaselineBaseline”” 11

Acropora Die-off: Late 1970s – 1980s

Acropora Biological Review Team (2005) ““ShiftingShifting BaselineBaseline”” 22

Diadema Die-off: Jan. 1983 – Jan. 1984

Courtesy B. Causey

Lessios et al. (1984) Courtesy J.B.C. Jackson ““ShiftingShifting BaselineBaseline”” 33

1987: First E. Pacific/Caribbean event 19971997-1998:-1998: FirstFirst globalglobal Looe Key Reef massmass coralcoral Looe Key Reef bleachingbleaching eventevent 1983:1983: CoralCoral bleaching,bleaching, lowerlower FloridaFlorida KeysKeys

Courtesy B. Causey ““ShiftingShifting BaselineBaseline”” 44

Proliferation of Coral “Diseases”: 1980s – 1990s

Courtesy S. Miller CaribbeanCaribbeanCaribbean-wide--widewide LossLoss ofof LiveLive CoralCoral CoverCover

White Band Disease

Bleaching

Bleaching

Diadema Die-off

FKNMS…

From Gardner et al. 2003 and Courtesy S. Miller Aronson & Precht 2006 CREMP: Overall Coral Cover in the Florida Keys

http://www.floridamarine.org

14% Mass Bleaching 12% Hurricane Georges 11.9% 10% 11.3% 8% 9.6%

6% 7.4% 7.5% 7.4% 7.3% 7.2% 6.6% 6.7% 4% 2%

Mean % Stony Coral Cover Stony Coral % Mean 0% 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 CREMP:CREMP: CoralCoral CoverCover inin DifferentDifferent HabitatsHabitats .

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0% 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 Mean % Stony Coral Cover Cover MeanCoral % Stony

Hardbottom Deep Shallow Patch ConsequencesConsequences ofof TheseThese ShiftingShifting BaselinesBaselines •• LossLoss ofof fastestfastestfastest-growing--growinggrowing reefreef frameworkframeworkframework--- buildersbuilders inin thethe CaribbeanCaribbean •• LossLoss ofof extensiveextensive AcroporaAcropora 333-D--DD habitathabitat structurestructure •• LossLoss ofof thethe “““lawn-mower”lawnlawn--mowermower”” (( DiademaDiadema)) thatthat enhancesenhances settlementsettlement ofof coralscorals (including(including AcroporaAcropora)) ConsequencesConsequences ofof TheseThese ShiftingShifting BaselinesBaselines •• RatchetingRatchetingRatcheting-down--downdown ofof coralcoral covercover afterafter massmassmass--- bleachingbleaching andand otherother eventsevents •• ContinuingContinuing lossloss ofof coralscorals toto diseasedisease syndromessyndromes

•• WhatWhat elseelse hashas changedchanged comparedcompared toto 125,000125,000 yearsyears ago?ago?

From this…

“An average day of grouper fishing in the Keys in the 1930’s!”

Courtesy J. Ault (UM/RSMAS) …to this

Catch of the day, 2007 Courtesy L. McClenachan (UCSD/SIO) Finally,Finally, somesome thingsthings wewe cancan manage!manage! PostPostPost-Pleistocene--PleistocenePleistocene CoralCoral ReefReef ManagementManagement •• AcknowledgeAcknowledge largelargelarge-scale--scalescale andand longlonglong-term--termterm environmentalenvironmental andand ecologicalecological changeschanges beyondbeyond ourour controlcontrol

•• ReduceReduce existingexisting humanhuman stressorsstressors –– OverfishingOverfishing andand damagingdamaging fishingfishing practicespractices –– thethe usualusual regulationsregulations andand marinemarine reservesreserves –– Pollution:Pollution: nutrientsnutrients andand chemicalschemicals –– improvedimproved wastewaterwastewater andand stormwaterstormwater treatmenttreatment –– OurOur contributionscontributions toto climateclimate changechange PostPostPost-Pleistocene--PleistocenePleistocene CoralCoral ReefReef ManagementManagement •• IncreaseIncrease protectionprotection ofof apparentlyapparently resistantresistant andand potentiallypotentially resilientresilient areasareas –– HighHigh coralcoral covercover andand goodgood conditioncondition inin patchpatch reefsreefs –– NeedNeed moremore research!research!

•• ConsiderConsider establishingestablishing networksnetworks ofof marinemarine reservesreserves –– IncludeInclude criticalcritical areas,areas, e.g.,e.g., nurseries,nurseries, spawningspawning aggregationsaggregations –– AddressAddress issuesissues ofof connectivityconnectivity –– ReplicateReplicate multiplemultiple habitathabitat typestypes –– NeedNeed moremore research!research! StaghornStaghorn ThicketsThickets

Vargas-Ángel et al. 2003 ConclusionsConclusions •• FutureFuture reefsreefs inin thethe KeysKeys maymay notnot bebe thethe samesame (as(as thethe onesones wewe becamebecame usedused to)to) asas seasea levellevel continuescontinues toto riserise andand GulfGulf influencesinfluences strengthenstrengthen (again)(again)

•• PatchPatch reefsreefs maymay continuecontinue toto developdevelop inin SESE FloridaFlorida asas globalglobal warmingwarming proceedsproceeds (but(but dondondon’t’’tt forgetforget coldcold snaps!)snaps!) ConclusionsConclusions •• WeWe shouldshould dodo allall wewe cancan toto protectprotect bothboth regionsregions –– existingexisting areasareas suchsuch asas thethe FloridaFlorida KeysKeys NationalNational MarineMarine SanctuarySanctuary andand NationalNational ParksParks areare startingstarting pointspoints

•• WeWe shouldshould upportupport effortsefforts toto enhanceenhance populationspopulations ofof DiademaDiadema andand AcroporaAcropora

•• WeWe shouldshould alsoalso supportsupport effortsefforts toto decreasedecrease ourour contributionscontributions toto climateclimate changechange

•Tagged cervicornis colonies •Three sites across ~75 km •N = 160 •Nine surveys Aug 82 – Aug 87 •“Predators” •Snail (Coralliophila) •Fire worm (Hermodice) •3-spot damsel (Stegastes)

N = 80 N = 52 N = 28

Miller et al. 2006

http://www.biopix.com/Photo.asp?PhotoId=29335&Photo =Bearded-fireworm-(Hermodice-carunculata) “Of“Of thethe 481481 staghornstaghorn coloniescolonies measuredmeasured forfor condition,condition, nono obviousobvious incidenceincidence ofof …… CoralliophilaCoralliophila predationpredation waswas observedobserved (Table(Table 8).8). However,However, ninenine coloniescolonies oror 2.2%2.2% ofof thethe totaltotal hadhad obviousobvious signssigns ofof damselfishdamselfish predation,predation, withwith mostmost casescases involvinginvolving oneone oror moremore damselfishdamselfish presentpresent perper colony.”colony.”

MillerMiller etet al.al. 20072007 MoreMore RecommendationsRecommendations •• MoreMore DiademaDiadema •• InvestigateInvestigate whywhy AcroporaAcropora covercover isis notnot increasingincreasing allall thatthat muchmuch –– EvenEven thoughthough populationpopulation sizessizes seemseem fairlyfairly highhigh 12,000,000 11,700,000 ± 1,400,000 colonies ± ± 300,000 colonies ± wide Population Assessments wide Population Assessments 2001: 400,000 2007: 1,600,000 2001: 13,000,000 Acropora palmata Acropora cervicornis 2007: 13,700,000 - - Keys-wide Population Assessments Keys Keys Courtesy S. Miller (UNCW) CoralCoral RecruitmentRecruitment EnhancerEnhancer FloridaFlorida ReefReef ResilienceResilience ProgramProgram

•• ContinueContinue toto monitormonitor patternspatterns •• EngageEngage andand helphelp educateeducate thethe publicpublic •• InvestigateInvestigate feasibilityfeasibility ofof largelarge-scalelarge--scalescale restorationrestoration ofof populationspopulations ofof keykey speciesspecies –– e.g.,e.g., Acropora,Acropora, DiademaDiadema •• SupportSupport effortsefforts toto ameliorateameliorate existingexisting humanhuman stressorsstressors andand reducereduce COCO22 emissionsemissions ChangeChange andand thethe AdaptiveAdaptive CycleCycle •• PotentialPotential forfor Change:Change: limitslimits toto whatwhat isis possiblepossible –– numbernumber ofof optionsoptions forfor thethe futurefuture •• InternalInternal Control/ExternalControl/External Influences:Influences: degreedegree toto whichwhich aa systemsystem cancan controlcontrol itsits ownown destinydestiny vs.vs. externalexternal variabilityvariability •• EcosystemEcosystem Resilience:Resilience: determinesdetermines vulnerabilityvulnerability ofof aa systemsystem toto disturbancesdisturbances andand surprisessurprises thatthat cancan exceedexceed oror breakbreak thatthat controlcontrol

Holling and Gunderson 2002