Spatial and temporal patterns of mass bleaching of corals in the Anthropocene

Terry P. Hughes; Kristen D. Anderson; Sean R. Connolly; Scott F. Heron; James T. Kerry; Janice M. Lough; Andrew H. Baird; Julia K. Baum; Michael L. Berumen; Tom C. Bridge; Danielle C. Claar; C. Mark Eakin; James P. Gilmour; Nicholas A.J. Graham; Hugo Harrison; Jean Paul A. Hobbs; Andrew S. Hoey; Mia Hoogenboom; Ryan J. Lowe; Malcolm T. McCulloch; John M. Pandolfi; Morgan Pratchett; Verena Schoepf; Gergely Torda; Shaun K. Wilson

doi:10.1126/science.aan8048

Spatial and temporal patterns of mass bleaching of corals in the Anthropocene

Terry P. Hughes^*, Kristen D. Anderson, Sean R. Connolly, Scott F. Heron, James T. Kerry, Janice M. Lough, Andrew H. Baird, Julia K. Baum, Michael L. Berumen, Tom C. Bridge, Danielle C. Claar, C. Mark Eakin, James P. Gilmour, Nicholas A.J. Graham, Hugo Harrison, Jean Paul A. Hobbs, Andrew S. Hoey, Mia Hoogenboom, Ryan J. Lowe, Malcolm T. McCullochJohn M. Pandolfi, Morgan Pratchett, Verena Schoepf, Gergely Torda, Shaun K. Wilson

^*Corresponding author for this work

Biological, Environmental Sciences and Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1489 Scopus citations

Abstract

Tropical reef systems are transitioning to a new era in which the interval between recurrent bouts of coral bleaching is too short for a full recovery of mature assemblages. We analyzed bleaching records at 100 globally distributed reef locations from 1980 to 2016. The median return time between pairs of severe bleaching events has diminished steadily since 1980 and is now only 6 years. As global warming has progressed, tropical sea surface temperatures are warmer now during current La Niña conditions than they were during El Niño events three decades ago. Consequently, as we transition to the Anthropocene, coral bleaching is occurring more frequently in all El Niño-Southern Oscillation phases, increasing the likelihood of annual bleaching in the coming decades.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	80-83
Number of pages	4
Journal	SCIENCE
Volume	359
Issue number	6371
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aan8048
State	Published - Jan 5 2018

Bibliographical note

KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2020-10-01
Acknowledgements: Major funding for this research was provided by the Australian Research Council's Centre of Excellence Program (CE140100020). The contents of this manuscript are solely the opinions of the authors and do not constitute a statement of policy, decision, or position on behalf of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or the U.S. government. Data reported in this paper are tabulated in the supplementary materials.

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UN SDGs

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10.1126/science.aan8048

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Hughes, T. P., Anderson, K. D., Connolly, S. R., Heron, S. F., Kerry, J. T., Lough, J. M., Baird, A. H., Baum, J. K., Berumen, M. L., Bridge, T. C., Claar, D. C., Eakin, C. M., Gilmour, J. P., Graham, N. A. J., Harrison, H., Hobbs, J. P. A., Hoey, A. S., Hoogenboom, M., Lowe, R. J., ... Wilson, S. K. (2018). Spatial and temporal patterns of mass bleaching of corals in the Anthropocene. SCIENCE, 359(6371), 80-83. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aan8048

@article{6381fa975e7244ffb780df47c593085e,

title = "Spatial and temporal patterns of mass bleaching of corals in the Anthropocene",

abstract = "Tropical reef systems are transitioning to a new era in which the interval between recurrent bouts of coral bleaching is too short for a full recovery of mature assemblages. We analyzed bleaching records at 100 globally distributed reef locations from 1980 to 2016. The median return time between pairs of severe bleaching events has diminished steadily since 1980 and is now only 6 years. As global warming has progressed, tropical sea surface temperatures are warmer now during current La Ni{\~n}a conditions than they were during El Ni{\~n}o events three decades ago. Consequently, as we transition to the Anthropocene, coral bleaching is occurring more frequently in all El Ni{\~n}o-Southern Oscillation phases, increasing the likelihood of annual bleaching in the coming decades.",

author = "Hughes, {Terry P.} and Anderson, {Kristen D.} and Connolly, {Sean R.} and Heron, {Scott F.} and Kerry, {James T.} and Lough, {Janice M.} and Baird, {Andrew H.} and Baum, {Julia K.} and Berumen, {Michael L.} and Bridge, {Tom C.} and Claar, {Danielle C.} and Eakin, {C. Mark} and Gilmour, {James P.} and Graham, {Nicholas A.J.} and Hugo Harrison and Hobbs, {Jean Paul A.} and Hoey, {Andrew S.} and Mia Hoogenboom and Lowe, {Ryan J.} and McCulloch, {Malcolm T.} and Pandolfi, {John M.} and Morgan Pratchett and Verena Schoepf and Gergely Torda and Wilson, {Shaun K.}",

note = "KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2020-10-01 Acknowledgements: Major funding for this research was provided by the Australian Research Council's Centre of Excellence Program (CE140100020). The contents of this manuscript are solely the opinions of the authors and do not constitute a statement of policy, decision, or position on behalf of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or the U.S. government. Data reported in this paper are tabulated in the supplementary materials.",

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Hughes, TP, Anderson, KD, Connolly, SR, Heron, SF, Kerry, JT, Lough, JM, Baird, AH, Baum, JK, Berumen, ML, Bridge, TC, Claar, DC, Eakin, CM, Gilmour, JP, Graham, NAJ, Harrison, H, Hobbs, JPA, Hoey, AS, Hoogenboom, M, Lowe, RJ, McCulloch, MT, Pandolfi, JM, Pratchett, M, Schoepf, V, Torda, G & Wilson, SK 2018, 'Spatial and temporal patterns of mass bleaching of corals in the Anthropocene', SCIENCE, vol. 359, no. 6371, pp. 80-83. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aan8048

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AU - Hughes, Terry P.

AU - Anderson, Kristen D.

AU - Connolly, Sean R.

AU - Heron, Scott F.

AU - Kerry, James T.

AU - Lough, Janice M.

AU - Baird, Andrew H.

AU - Baum, Julia K.

AU - Berumen, Michael L.

AU - Bridge, Tom C.

AU - Claar, Danielle C.

AU - Eakin, C. Mark

AU - Gilmour, James P.

AU - Graham, Nicholas A.J.

AU - Harrison, Hugo

AU - Hobbs, Jean Paul A.

AU - Hoey, Andrew S.

AU - Hoogenboom, Mia

AU - Lowe, Ryan J.

AU - McCulloch, Malcolm T.

AU - Pandolfi, John M.

AU - Pratchett, Morgan

AU - Schoepf, Verena

AU - Torda, Gergely

AU - Wilson, Shaun K.

N1 - KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2020-10-01 Acknowledgements: Major funding for this research was provided by the Australian Research Council's Centre of Excellence Program (CE140100020). The contents of this manuscript are solely the opinions of the authors and do not constitute a statement of policy, decision, or position on behalf of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or the U.S. government. Data reported in this paper are tabulated in the supplementary materials.

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N2 - Tropical reef systems are transitioning to a new era in which the interval between recurrent bouts of coral bleaching is too short for a full recovery of mature assemblages. We analyzed bleaching records at 100 globally distributed reef locations from 1980 to 2016. The median return time between pairs of severe bleaching events has diminished steadily since 1980 and is now only 6 years. As global warming has progressed, tropical sea surface temperatures are warmer now during current La Niña conditions than they were during El Niño events three decades ago. Consequently, as we transition to the Anthropocene, coral bleaching is occurring more frequently in all El Niño-Southern Oscillation phases, increasing the likelihood of annual bleaching in the coming decades.

AB - Tropical reef systems are transitioning to a new era in which the interval between recurrent bouts of coral bleaching is too short for a full recovery of mature assemblages. We analyzed bleaching records at 100 globally distributed reef locations from 1980 to 2016. The median return time between pairs of severe bleaching events has diminished steadily since 1980 and is now only 6 years. As global warming has progressed, tropical sea surface temperatures are warmer now during current La Niña conditions than they were during El Niño events three decades ago. Consequently, as we transition to the Anthropocene, coral bleaching is occurring more frequently in all El Niño-Southern Oscillation phases, increasing the likelihood of annual bleaching in the coming decades.

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JF - SCIENCE

IS - 6371

ER -

Spatial and temporal patterns of mass bleaching of corals in the Anthropocene

Abstract

Bibliographical note

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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