Synthesis: Coral Bleaching: Patterns, Processes, Causes and Consequences

Abstract

The chapters in this volume paint a grim picture for the future of coral reefs, which are declining at an alarming rate due to a multitude of human activities. Of these anthropogenic disturbances, increasing thermal stress due to the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is the primary threat to the maintenance of tropical coral reefs, causing mass coral bleaching and coral mortality. Here, we consider some of the new interventions that are being explored to ensure persistence of corals and coral reefs over this century while actions are taken to curb the magnitude of global warming.