Singapore-Deft Water Alliance, National University of Singapore, Block E1 #08-25, 1 Engineering Drive 2, 117576, Singapore; Section Computational Science, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 94248, Amsterdam, 1090 GE, The Netherlands; Singapore-MIT Alliance in Research and Technology, 1 CREATE Way, #09-03 CREATE Tower, 138602, Singapore.
Glob Chang Biol. 2013 Oct;19(10):3011-23. doi: 10.1111/gcb.12279. Epub 2013 Jul 29.
This study reports the first well-replicated analysis of continuous coral growth records from warmer water reefs (mean annual sea surface temperatures (SST) >28.5 °C) around the Thai-Malay Peninsula in Southeast Asia. Based on analyses of 70 colonies sampled from 15 reefs within six locations, region-wide declines in coral calcification rate (ca. 18.6%), linear extension rate (ca. 15.4%) and skeletal bulk density (ca. 3.9%) were observed over a 31-year period from 1980 to 2010. Decreases in calcification and linear extension rates were observed at five of the six locations and ranged from ca. 17.2-21.6% and ca. 11.4-19.6%, respectively, whereas decline in skeletal bulk density was a consequence of significant reductions at only two locations (ca. 6.9% and 10.7%). A significant link between region-wide growth rates and average annual SST was found, and Porites spp. demonstrated a high thermal threshold of ca. 29.4 °C before calcification rates declined. Responses at individual locations within the region were more variable with links between SST and calcification rates being significant at only four locations. Rates of sea temperature warming at locations in the Andaman Sea (Indian Ocean) (ca. 1.3 °C per decade) were almost twice those in the South China Sea (Pacific Ocean) (ca. 0.7 °C per decade), but this was not reflected in the magnitude of calcification declines at corresponding locations. Considering that massive Porites spp. are major reef builders around Southeast Asia, this region-wide growth decline is a cause for concern for future reef accretion rates and resilience. However, this study suggests that the future rates and patterns of change within the region are unlikely to be uniform or dependent solely on the rates of change in the thermal environment.
本研究报告了首次对东南亚泰国-马来半岛周围温暖水域（年平均海面温度（SST）>28.5°C）的连续珊瑚生长记录进行的复制分析。基于对来自六个地点的 15 个珊瑚礁的 70 个群体的分析，在 1980 年至 2010 年的 31 年期间，观察到珊瑚钙化率（约 18.6%）、线性延伸率（约 15.4%）和骨骼体密度（约 3.9%）的区域范围下降。在六个地点中的五个地点观察到钙化和线性延伸率下降，分别为约 17.2-21.6%和约 11.4-19.6%，而骨骼体密度下降仅发生在两个地点（约 6.9%和 10.7%）。发现区域范围内生长率与年平均 SST 之间存在显著关联，并且 Porites spp. 在钙化率下降之前表现出约 29.4°C 的高热阈值。该区域内各个地点的响应更为多变，仅在四个地点发现 SST 与钙化率之间存在关联。安达曼海（印度洋）（约 1.3°C/十年）的海温上升率几乎是南海（太平洋）（约 0.7°C/十年）的两倍，但这并没有反映在相应地点的钙化下降幅度上。考虑到大量的 Porites spp. 是东南亚周围的主要珊瑚礁建造者，这种区域范围的生长下降是对未来珊瑚礁附生率和弹性的关注原因。然而，本研究表明，该区域内未来的变化速度和模式不太可能是统一的，也不取决于热环境变化的速度。
