A researcher has developed a way to predict the future health of the planet’s coral reefs. He has been studying the ecosystems of the world’s endangered reefs.

Working with scientists from Australia’s Flinders’ University and privately-owned research firm Nova Blue Environment, biology doctoral student Bruno Carturan has been studying the ecosystems of the world’s endangered reefs.

«Coral reefs are among the most diverse ecosystems on Earth and they support the livelihoods of more than 500 million people,» says Carturan. «But coral reefs are also in peril. About 75 per cent of the world’s coral reefs are threatened by habitat loss, climate change and other human-caused disturbances.»

Carturan, who studies resilience, biodiversity and complex systems under UBCO Professors Lael Parrott and Jason Pither, says nearly all the world’s reefs will be dangerously affected by 2050 if no effective measures are taken.

There is hope, however, as he has determined a way to examine the reefs and explore why some reef ecosystems appear to be more resilient than others. Uncovering why, he says, could help stem the losses.

«In other ecosystems, including forests and wetlands, experiments have shown that diversity is key to resilience,» says Carturan. «With more species, comes a greater variety of form and function — what ecologists call traits. And with this, there is a greater likelihood that some particular traits, or combination of traits, help the ecosystem better withstand and bounce back from disturbances.»

The importance of diversity for the health and stability of ecosystems has been extensively investigated by ecologists, he explains. While the consensus is that ecosystems with more diversity are more resilient and function better, the hypothesis has rarely been tested experimentally with corals.

Story Source: Materials provided by University of British Columbia Okanagan campus. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.