Bücher der Reihe Coral Reefs of the World

The tropical UK Territories have extensive coral reefs. Some of these areas serve as reference sites for many other countries with damaged reefs and they are oases of tropical marine biodiversity in a fast-degrading world.

Coral reefs, which are one of the most productive and biodiverse ecosystems on Earth, serve various important roles, such as providing shelter and spawning grounds to a wide range of marine animals. However, the global decline of hard corals in tropical and subtropical regions is a growing concern. A recent review of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) indicated that only 10%¿30% of coral reefs would survive with an increase of 1.5 °C in global warming temperature. Of coral reefs around the world, the coral reefs in eastern Asia face one of the most industrially developed and high population areas in the world. Thus, coral reefs of eastern Asia have been affected by various anthropogenic factors, such as eutrophication, coastal development, anthropogenic pollutants, ocean acidification, disease, and overfishing. Therefore, urgent research is required to determine the levels at which different factors will affect coral health. Besides, we propose a perspective on coralreef (especially those in eastern Asia) conservation under climate change and various anthropogenic activities.

The health status and future of tropical coral reefs, as tourist destinations, are regularly subjected to media coverage. Many documentaries recognize the natural beauty and biological richness of the Australian Great Barrier Reef and French Polynesian lagoons, but point to the equally significant risk that would result from current global warming and human-made hazards. The future of coral reefs is usually a matter of death foretold, real or purely imaginary. In this context, it has become necessary to differentiate between what is falling within reality of scientific facts or fantasy. To this end, the present general review, in the expert translation of Charlotte Fontan aims at: (1) defining the conditions and life requirements of reefbuilding corals; (2) the history of corals along with that of a number of associated, skeletal organisms involved in reef building since the very beginning, i.e. the last 540 million years, including the ups and downs they have experienced; (3) giving special reference to the development patterns of recent and modern reefs; (4) projecting corals and reefs into a still unknown future. Understanding how corals and reefs have originated, how they have been able to face the major biological crises which have punctuated the Earth¿s history, how they have survived is a prerequisite to better gain a significant picture of their future.

The rapid demise of coral reefs worldwide has spurred efforts to develop innovative conservation and restoration methods. Many of these rely on omics approaches to produce genetic, genomic, transcriptomic, epigenomic or metabolomic data to inform conservation and restoration interventions. This book provides the state of play of this field. It discusses topics ranging from how genomic and environmental DNA (eDNA) data can be used to inform marine protected area design and cryopreservation strategies, the use of knowledge on adaptive genetic and epigenetic variation to maximise environmental stress tolerance of coral stock, harnessing transcriptome data to develop early warning markers, the use of microbial symbiont omics data in guiding restoration strategies, to applications of metabolomics and genetic engineering. How best to translate omics data to resource managers is also discussed.

The monograph is based on the research and training activities in the Western Pacific Ocean Region within the umbrella of UNESCO/IOC-Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific Region. The results of these activities are compared to cases from other tropical and subtropical regions on this planet to make the knowledge applicable to global aspects of sustainability of coral reef ecosystems. In this monograph, we examine the coral reefs from viewpoint of multidisciplinary approaches, including, environmental impacts, coral biology and system ecology, biogeochemical cycles and processes that drive the material and energy flow through the food web, as well as the proxies in geochemistry that have been used to track the responses of coral reefs to the changing climate and human perturbations. Although this study is focused on the Western Pacific Ocean, the Western Pacific Ocean is so large and diverse that most reef environment types on this planet are located within it. Therefore, knowledge gained in this study is relevant to the application of coastal management in practice as well as in the teaching classes on the interactions between coral reef ecosystems with changing environments.

This book comprehensively introduces recent important studies on coral reefs from various research fields including biology, ecology, chemistry, the earth sciences, and conservation studies. Thus, coral reef studies around Japan have provided important knowledge on basic sciences and conservation studies regarding coral reef ecosystem.

This book documents and examines the state of health of coral reefs in the eastern tropical Pacific region. It touches on the occurrence of coral reefs in the waters of surrounding countries, and it explores their biogeography, biodiversity and condition relative to the El Nino southern oscillation and human impacts.

What do we know about Mediterranean Cold (Deep)-Water coral ecosystems? Structured on a temporal axis-Past, Present and Future-the reviews and selected study cases cover the cold and deep coral habitats known to date in the Mediterranean Basin.

This volume is a complete review and reference work for scientists, engineers, and students concerned with coral reefs in the Red Sea. The Red Sea harbours a set of unique ecological characteristics, such as high temperature, high alkalinity, and high salinity, in a quasi-isolated environment.

This book summarizes what is known about mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) geographically and by major taxa. They are populated with organisms typically associated with shallow coral reefs, such as macroalgae, corals, sponges, and fishes, as well as specialist species unique to mesophotic depths.

This book comprehensively introduces recent important studies on coral reefs from various research fields including biology, ecology, chemistry, the earth sciences, and conservation studies. Thus, coral reef studies around Japan have provided important knowledge on basic sciences and conservation studies regarding coral reef ecosystem.

Coral Reefs of the USA provides a complete overview of the present status of knowledge regarding all coral reef areas within the USA and its territories.

This book aims to illuminate coral reefs which comprise a symbiotic system coexisting among ecosystems, landforms, and humans at various levels and to provide a scientific basis for its reconstruction.

Coral Reefs of the Gulf: Adaptation to Climatic Extremes is a complete review and reference for scientists, engineers and students concerned with the geology, biology or engineering aspects of coral reefs in the Middle East.

In this book, contributors from diverse backgrounds take a first step toward an integrated view of reefs and the significance of their recent decline.

This book is the first comprehensive coverage of Red Sea fisheries to inform researchers and decision makers. Examining the fisheries of the Red Sea has become extremely important to understand the ecosystem and the direct human impact of fishing on Red Sea ecosystems.

This book aims to illuminate coral reefs which comprise a symbiotic system coexisting among ecosystems, landforms, and humans at various levels and to provide a scientific basis for its reconstruction.

The tropical UK Territories have extensive coral reefs. Some of these areas serve as reference sites for many other countries with damaged reefs and they are oases of tropical marine biodiversity in a fast-degrading world.

Coral Reefs of the Gulf: Adaptation to Climatic Extremes is a complete review and reference for scientists, engineers and students concerned with the geology, biology or engineering aspects of coral reefs in the Middle East.

Coral Reefs of the USA provides a complete overview of the present status of knowledge regarding all coral reef areas within the USA and its territories.

In this book, contributors from diverse backgrounds take a first step toward an integrated view of reefs and the significance of their recent decline.

This book documents and examines the state of health of coral reefs in the eastern tropical Pacific region. It touches on the occurrence of coral reefs in the waters of surrounding countries, and it explores their biogeography, biodiversity and condition relative to the El Nino southern oscillation and human impacts.

This book is the first comprehensive coverage of Red Sea fisheries to inform researchers and decision makers. Examining the fisheries of the Red Sea has become extremely important to understand the ecosystem and the direct human impact of fishing on Red Sea ecosystems.