Coral reefs are declining worldwide as a result of environmental pressures such as high temperatures, ultraviolet radiation and nutrient pollution.
Joseph Maina at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, and his colleagues mapped and quantified the exposure of coral to these stressors and associated factors around the world. They grouped coral regions into two clusters (pictured). One is typically exposed to high stress, with few mitigating factors such as temperature variability or large tidal amplitude, and includes the central Indian Ocean. The other includes regions such as the Great Barrier Reef, and has moderate-to-high stress exposure, but also benefits from stress-reducing features.
The team says that the results could help to focus conservation efforts on regions where they are most likely to succeed, and to design effective management strategies.
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Mapping reef stress. Nature 476, 375 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/476375d
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/476375d
