Coral Reef Conservation And Restoration In The Omics Age

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.

This poignant tribute to the beauty of coral reefs sheds light on the destruction of global reef ecosystems and the climate science behind the conservation efforts to save them. Broken into three parts—Discovering Corals, Wonder and Devastation, and Searching for Hope—and told through a series of gripping stories, author and documentarian David Alexander Baker takes readers on a global adventure to the front lines of an unfolding ecological crisis. More than half of the world's coral reefs have been destroyed in the past fifty years due to the climate crisis. The Lost Continent helps readers gain a deeper understanding of coral reefs and why they are vital to the health of our oceans—and the survival of our planet—and highlights the incredible conservation and restoration strides being made around the world. With over 60 breathtaking photographs of coral reefs spanning from Colombia to Australia to the Florida Keys readers will be moved both by the majesty of nature and the urgency to preserve and restore these great cities of the seas.

" this book is the first to describe, in detail, the art and science of coral reef restoration. It is to be hoped that the information that can be gleaned within the pages of this book will set a path towards continued preservation of this valuable underwater treasure to be used, appreciated, and experienced for future generations." -- Senator

In the last two decades since publication of the first edition, substantial advancements have been made in the science, the need for transdisciplinary approaches to coral reef protection greater than ever before. This new edition, now in full color throughout with accompanying animations, goes beyond identifying foundational information and current problems to pinpoint science-based solutions for managers, stakeholders and policy makers. Coral reefs are connected by currents that carry plankton and the larvae of many reef-based organisms. Further, they supply food to reefs. Currents also bring pollutants from the land and, together with the atmosphere, affect the surrounding ocean. The chapters in this book provide a much-needed review of the biophysics of reefs with an emphasis on the Great Barrier Reef as an ecosystem. The focus is on interactions between currents, waves, sediment and the dynamics of coastal and reef-based ecosystems. The topographic complexity of reefs redirects mainstream currents, creates tidal eddies, mushroom jets, boundary layers, stagnation zones, and this turbulence is enhanced by the oceanographic chaos in the adjoining Coral Sea. This is the environment in which particles and organisms, of a range of sizes live, from tiny plankton to megafauna. This generates faunal connectivity at scales of meters to thousands of km within the Great Barrier Reef and with the adjoining ocean. Pollution from land-use is increasing and remedial measures are described both on land and on coral cays. The impact of climate change is quantified in case studies about mangroves and corals. Modelling this biophysical complexity is increasing in sophistication, and the authors suggest how the field can advance further.

Publisher description

Now more than 60 years old, this series remains one of the most cited sources in marine science and oceanography. A book/journal hybrid, it has a strong Impact Factor and a global reputation. Chapters are authored by leading experts from around the world, while an international Editorial Board ensures continued high quality and rigorous peer review of published articles. The ever increasing interest in work in oceanography and marine biology and its relevance to global environmental issues, especially global climate change and its impacts, creates a demand for authoritative reviews summarizing the results of recent research. Three chapters in the volume are available Open Access.