Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, United States of America.
PLoS One. 2011;6(8):e23047. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0023047. Epub 2011 Aug 10.
Coral reefs are facing increasing pressure from natural and anthropogenic stressors that have already caused significant worldwide declines. In January 2010, coral reefs of Florida, United States, were impacted by an extreme cold-water anomaly that exposed corals to temperatures well below their reported thresholds (16°C), causing rapid coral mortality unprecedented in spatial extent and severity.
METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Reef surveys were conducted from Martin County to the Lower Florida Keys within weeks of the anomaly. The impacts recorded were catastrophic and exceeded those of any previous disturbances in the region. Coral mortality patterns were directly correlated to in-situ and satellite-derived cold-temperature metrics. These impacts rival, in spatial extent and intensity, the impacts of the well-publicized warm-water bleaching events around the globe. The mean percent coral mortality recorded for all species and subregions was 11.5% in the 2010 winter, compared to 0.5% recorded in the previous five summers, including years like 2005 where warm-water bleaching was prevalent. Highest mean mortality (15%-39%) was documented for inshore habitats where temperatures were <11°C for prolonged periods. Increases in mortality from previous years were significant for 21 of 25 coral species, and were 1-2 orders of magnitude higher for most species.
CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The cold-water anomaly of January 2010 caused the worst coral mortality on record for the Florida Reef Tract, highlighting the potential catastrophic impacts that unusual but extreme climatic events can have on the persistence of coral reefs. Moreover, habitats and species most severely affected were those found in high-coral cover, inshore, shallow reef habitats previously considered the "oases" of the region, having escaped declining patterns observed for more offshore habitats. Thus, the 2010 cold-water anomaly not only caused widespread coral mortality but also reversed prior resistance and resilience patterns that will take decades to recover.
珊瑚礁正面临着来自自然和人为压力的日益增加的压力，这些压力已经导致全球范围内的珊瑚礁大量减少。2010 年 1 月，美国佛罗里达州的珊瑚礁受到极端冷水异常现象的影响，珊瑚暴露在远低于其报告阈值（16°C）的温度下，导致珊瑚快速死亡，其空间范围和严重程度前所未有。
方法/主要发现：在异常现象发生后的几周内，对从马丁县到佛罗里达群岛的珊瑚礁进行了调查。记录到的影响是灾难性的，超过了该地区以前任何一次干扰的影响。珊瑚死亡率模式与现场和卫星衍生的低温指标直接相关。这些影响在空间范围和强度上与全球广为人知的暖水白化事件的影响相媲美。与前五个夏季相比，2010 年冬季所有物种和亚区记录的平均珊瑚死亡率为 11.5%，而在包括 2005 年暖水白化普遍发生的年份在内的前五个夏季，记录的死亡率仅为 0.5%。在温度长时间低于 11°C 的近岸栖息地，记录到的平均死亡率最高（15%-39%）。与前几年相比，25 种珊瑚中有 21 种的死亡率显著增加，而且大多数物种的死亡率增加了 1-2 个数量级。
结论/意义：2010 年 1 月的冷水异常现象导致佛罗里达礁区有记录以来最严重的珊瑚死亡，突显出不寻常但极端的气候事件对珊瑚礁持续存在可能产生的潜在灾难性影响。此外，受影响最严重的栖息地和物种是那些在高珊瑚覆盖率、近岸、浅礁栖息地中发现的物种，这些栖息地以前被认为是该地区的“绿洲”，逃脱了更靠近海岸的栖息地观察到的下降模式。因此，2010 年冷水异常现象不仅造成了广泛的珊瑚死亡，还扭转了先前的抵抗和恢复模式，这些模式需要几十年的时间才能恢复。
