Considerations for determining warm-water coral reef tipping points
Paul Pearce-Kelly,Andrew H. Altieri,John F. Bruno,Christopher E. Cornwall,Melanie McField,Aarón Israel Muñiz-Castillo,Juan Rocha,Renee O. Setter,Charles Sheppard,Rosa Maria Roman-Cuesta,and Chris Yesson
Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK
Andrew H. Altieri
Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure & Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
John F. Bruno
Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
School of Biological Sciences and Coastal People Southern Skies Centre of Research Excellence, Victoria University of Wellington, Kelburn, Wellington, New Zealand
Melanie McField
Healthy Reefs for Healthy People Initiative, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and the USA, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312, USA
Aarón Israel Muñiz-Castillo
Healthy Reefs for Healthy People Initiative, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and the USA, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312, USA
Coral reefs face unprecedented threats from multiple stressors, many of which are linked to human activities. Some stressors have tipping points that, if exceeded, could cause coral collapse. These include temperatures rising 1.2 °C above pre-industrial levels and atmospheric CO2 above 350 parts per million. Uncertainty remains for these thresholds; many stressors interact in ways we do not understand. It is important to study these and employ a precautionary principle when planning our actions.
Coral reefs face unprecedented threats from multiple stressors, many of which are linked to...
