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Issue 25 - Climate Issue

Bleaching in Fiji: The Impacts of El Niño 2015

Tom Vierus, Marine Biologist  |  Amanda Ford, Coral Reef Ecologist

It’s April 2016, just off the coast of Beqa – a small island to the south of Fiji’s main island Viti Levu.

Amanda and myself are currently living on the beautiful Fiji Islands to conduct our scientific fieldwork. While I am investigating a potential multi-species nursery of hammerhead and blacktip sharks in a remote part in the north of Fiji, Amanda and her team are focusing on the coral reefs. For her PhD at the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research in Germany, she investigates the impact of human communities on coral reef health around Pacific islands.

Her team has spent the last half a year here studying how agricultural land-use changes, sewage input and fishing are affecting reefs. To gain a better understanding of the impacts of a remote island community, the team has been working in a small village on Beqa Island. By surveying various parameters of reefs at increasing distances from shore, she can compare how their structure and function changes. We have traveled back here one last time on this trip to follow-up on the ‘white corals’ of which local fishermen are telling tales…

70% of all corals bleached

Tropical corals live in symbiosis with small single-celled algae, called zooxanthellae. Up to one million of them can be found per cm2 of coral tissue, giving corals the vibrant colors which we so strongly associate with tropical reefs. The algae synthesize sugars out of sunlight and carbon dioxide (photosynthesis) and feed them to their host, providing the coral animal with enough energy to build its energetically-costly calcium carbonate skeleton. The coral animal in turn supplies a sheltered home alongside a constant supply of carbon dioxide and nutrient-rich waste products. This symbiotic relationship breaks down if surrounding water temperatures become stressful, causing the coral to digest or expel the zooxanthellae, leaving behind the clear animal tissue and the visible white coral skeleton, hence the term ‘coral bleaching’.

Looking down from the boat in Beqa, the unusual bright whiteness of the reef gives the impression that it is glowing from the depths. As soon as we get below the surface to measure the extent and severity of the bleaching, the devastating scene takes our breath away. Though there is admittedly a ghostly beauty and elegance to a coral reef that is bleached, it is an incredibly unnerving to see the large-scale effect of ocean warming on corals that can be up to hundreds of years old. Up close to bleached colonies you can start to differentiate distinct parts that have already died and are being colonized already by small algae. As we return to the surface, our eyes convey what we both feel. “At least 70% of all soft and hard corals are showing at least some bleaching. It doesn’t look good,” Amanda summarizes to me with a sigh. Even though bleached corals may still recover, extended periods of elevated sea surface temperatures and any additional stress from competing organisms or disease can lead to eventual death of the corals which are so depleted in energy without their symbiotic algae.

‘This is the same situation as most of the reefs I have surveyed during the last weeks’, Amanda says to the fishermen as she explains to them what they are seeing around their coast. Some shallow areas along Fiji’s coast experienced unusually high water temperatures for several weeks. Besides the coral bleaching there have also been local mass fish die-offs which were likely caused by anoxic conditions triggered by the unusually high temperatures during low tide.

Bleached soft corals at Beqa Island extending as far as you can see

El Niño and the third global bleaching event

El Niño events represent one of Earth’s most important natural weather-producing phenomena by influencing pressure systems, winds and precipitation. They occur generally every two to seven years following a weakening of the trade winds that push water from east to west in the Pacific Ocean. These winds usually allow cool and productive waters from the depths to replace the surface water in the east as the winds blow the water west. When the trade winds weaken, the warm surface water stays in the east, restricting the upwelling of the deeper water. Without the currents being driven from east to west, water across the Pacific starts to warm up.

Though the direct effect of climate change on El Niño events is debated, these events are now occurring in combination with global ocean warming, thus intensifying the effects. 2015 was the hottest year since record keeping began according to the United Nations; only 8-10% of the warming was attributed to the El Niño. The combination of warm temperatures and the extended and intense ‘super El Niño’ seemed to be the worst yet for coral reefs worldwide. After 1998 and 2010, this was the third time an El Niño event has led to global bleaching events in various parts of the world. Since the end of 2014 the predictably returning El Niño weather event had been warming surface temperatures in wide parts of the Pacific region, with additional catastrophic effects in the eastern Pacific. By suppressing the cold and nutrient rich waters currents flowing upwards along Peru’s coastline, millions of fish failed to arrive leading to the collapse of the otherwise flourishing Peruvian fishing industry. While fishers returned with empty nets, heavy rains all along South America’s west coast caused flooding and in the western Pacific, dry, hot air led to miserable agricultural yields.

Healthy, diverse and colorful reefs offer an array of ecosystem services

Coral reefs among the most diverse habitats on earth

Healthy coral reefs belong to the most productive and diverse habitats on earth, harboring around 25% of marine species despite only covering less than 1% of ocean floor. In turn they are vital for tropical coastal communities in terms of food and coastal protection, with hundreds of millions of people depending on them directly and indirectly. Furthermore, coral reefs generate billions of dollars every year in the tourism industry. In fact, it is estimated that the generate financial revenue in the region of US $30 billion– every year!

Coral bleaching and associated mortality can be catastrophic for coastal human communities in many ways. Once hard corals die, they are overgrown quickly by other organisms such as algae. Overtime, their remaining hard skeleton is eroded by a mixture of biological, chemical and physical processes, reducing the originally complex reef structure to flattened rubble. When this happens, the hugely diverse array of organisms that rely on the reef’s three-dimensional structure for shelter and protection are essentially left homeless. Furthermore, as reefs are flattened, their original capacity to dissipate up to 90% of wave energy is lost, leaving coastlines very susceptible to storm surges. Many of the people living close to tropical coral reefs are restricted in their ability to move or to switch to alternative livelihoods or food sources, rendering them highly vulnerable to coral reef loss.

The future is concerning regarding thermal stress on reefs. Already over 25% of tropical coral reefs are already lost and without large-scale action to minimize carbon dioxide emissions, most reefs are predicted to have disappeared by the middle of this century.

Complex corals such as these staghorn acroporids offer shelter to reef fish among a variety of other organisms

Better management can help improve the situation

All is not lost. There are things that can be done to improve the situation. Maintaining healthy fish populations and good water quality can keep fast-growing algae under control. Similar to how a stressed person isn’t going to feel better with a poor diet and no sleep, local conditions can be changed to allow reef a maximum chance to recover from bleaching. If local factors are better maintained, bleached coral have much more capacity to survive, re-establish their zooxanthellae and continue to grow. Many management tools can achieve this. Marine protected areas can provide a refuge from fishing for fish communities, as can catch limits and size-limits that protect important life-stages. Wastewater management, reduced fertilizer usage near to coastlines and rivers and mangrove reforestation can improve water quality around coastlines. Now more than ever, it is critical that we implement local management tools to maximize the future survival of this ecosystem. Otherwise, this is not only an ecosystem in peril, but its loss will affect millions of our neighbors around the world.

We need to act united

As the afternoon sun starts to descend we make our way back to the village. Exhausted from the long day surveying the reefs, our eyes stare indistinctly towards the green lush coast line. Although we have seen bleaching all around, it doesn’t necessarily mean it is all doomed. The data collected by research teams like Amanda’s will help to further understand combined impacts of local stressors and climate change on reefs, and with solid data the likelihood of implementing better local management increases. We have certainly seen that the fisherman’s tales of white corals were true and it makes one thought very clear: as so often, many of the poorest people around the world will suffer the most. Climate change is real and we need to speed up our efforts to combat and reduce its impacts. Though educating decision makers and spreading the word to as many people as possible are important, these efforts should start with ourselves and reducing our own carbon footprint as much as we can.

Amanda and Tom are currently based in Bremen, Germany. While Amanda is finishing her PhD in coral reef ecology, Tom is dedicating his time to photo journalism after graduating as a marine ecologist specializing in sharks. More of Tom’s work can be seen on his pages www.livingdreams.tv and www.tomvierus.com.

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Issue 25 - Climate Issue

Issue 25 – Special Edition: Climate – June 2017

Table of Contents:

1. Letter from the Guest Editor – June Special Climate Change Edition. The realities of today show that the battle against climate change is an ongoing one that is just beginning…

 2. New research predicts the future of coral reefs under climate change. New climate model projections of the world’s coral reefs reveal which reefs will be hit first by annual coral bleaching, an event that poses the gravest threat…

 3. Telling the Stories of South Florida’s Battle with Sea Level Rise. A hotbed of rapid environmental change due to rising seas, Miami is also becoming a place of innovative environmental communication for diverse communities.

 4. Bleaching in Fiji: The Impacts of El Niño 2015.  It’s April 2016, just off the coast of Beqa – a small island to the south of Fiji’s main island Viti Levu. Amanda and myself are currently living on the beautiful…

 5. Connect with the Global Marine Community. In a nutshell, the Global Marine Community is a free interactive resource that gives you access to a weekly email detailing a round-up of events and opportunities in ocean conservation.

 6. Watercolor Artist, Sheila Horne. Artists have long been inspired by nature, and their contribution to awareness and advocacy of environmental issues cannot be understated. Mrs. Horne’s work…

 7. Architecture as Adaptation. As global warming and rising sea levels march forward at an increasing pace, humankind and society have no further option but to confront these changes head-on in how we live our lives…

8. Climate Change Misconceptions & What You Can Do. It’s in the news. It’s science. It’s somewhat controversial. While we’re certain that Earth’s climate

 9. Interview: Melissa White, Executive Director of Key Biscayne Community Foundation.  Key Biscayne is particularly vulnerable to the effects of sea level rise. Flooding already occurs..

10. More Bang for the Buck: Record New Renewable Power Capacity Added at Lower Cost. As the cost of clean technology continues to fall, the world added record levels of renewable energy capacity in 2016…

11. Planning for Climate Change & Rising Sea Levels: An Example from Boston.  The City of Boston convened a group of climate scientists and experts to determine a consensus on what the effects of climate change will be for…

12. Interested in advertising, contributing an article, or becoming a donor?.  26 Issues, readership in 174 countries, over 14,000 subscribers, 15,000 monthly visitors…and growing 

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Issue 25 - Climate Issue

UN Environment Launches Young Champions of the Earth Competition

 

 

On International Mother Earth Day, the United Nations Environment Programme launched Young Champions of the Earth, a new initiative to spot young, talented people between the ages of 18 and 30 and support their inspiring ideas to save the environment.

Young Champions of the Earth is a global stage for young people to showcase technological inventions and innovative business models that improve our planet’s health. The initiative aims to counter the negative discourse on the environment and inspire the next generation of environmental leaders.

Young Champions of the Earth is sponsored by Covestro, one of the world’s leading polymer companies and a strong proponent of innovation for environmental sustainability.

Each year, six young people – one from each of UN Environment’s global regions – will be named Young Champions of the Earth. These winners will each receive US$15,000 in seed funding as well as intensive training and tailored mentoring to help bring their big environmental ideas to life.

The winners will be selected by a global jury that includes UN Environment Executive Director Erik Solheim and Covestro CEO Patrick Thomas. Winners will be invited to attend the Champions of the Earth Gala Dinner, to be held in Nairobi in December 2017.

The application period opened on 22 April and will close on 18 June.

UN Environment Executive Director Erik Solheim said: “As I’ve seen time and again, when young people are given opportunities and support, they can be powerful catalysts for change. It is our hope that Young Champions of the Earth will inspire thousands of young people around the world to develop innovative ways to tackle the environmental issues that matter to them.”

Covestro CEO Patrick Thomas said: “I am delighted to support UN Environment on this excellent initiative. Sustainable thinking and acting is critical in preserving our planet and improving the safety and quality of millions of people.

“Covestro seeks to contribute to this goal with products and technologies that benefit society and reduce the impact on the environment. This is the basis of our vision ‘To make the world a brighter place’ – and Young Champions invites the enthusiastic participation of all who care for our future.”

For more information, please visit www.unep.org/youngchampions

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Issue 25 - Climate Issue

Planning for Climate Change & Rising Sea Levels: An Example from Boston

Austin Horne

 

 

With climate change impacts already occurring in many parts of the Eastern U.S. Coast, citizens in many major metropolitan areas are becoming intimately aware of the dangers that climate change-induced sea level rise poses to their communities. According to recent peer-reviewed research, heavily-populated, low-lying coastal areas in New England are vulnerable to tidal flooding as sea levels rise due to climate change. What’s more, some of Boston’s most recognizable neighborhoods like Back Bay, Downtown, the South End, and Logan Airport-adjacent East Boston are among the areas with the greatest future impact from this flooding. Needless to say, significant, increasing, and persistent flooding in all areas of the City is a major concern for City officials. As a response to the potential effects of climate change, the City of Boston has unveiled one of the most comprehensive and detailed climate impact studies to date for their local metropolitan region. While the plan concludes that a reduction of greenhouse gases (GHGs) is the most effective way to mitigate climate change, municipalities like Boston have the ability to adapt to climate change in ways that protect their citizens. Released in December of 2016, The Climate Ready Boston report can truly be used as a model for other cities’ efforts to combat the effects of climate change.

In the beginning of the project, The City of Boston convened a group of climate scientists and experts to determine a consensus on what the effects of climate change will be for the Coastal Massachusetts area. The importance of using the latest scientific information in climate change plans should not be taken for granted and cannot be understated; furthermore, Boston’s location as an educational center with some of the world’s top universities and research centers makes it an ideal candidate to utilize this vital local resource. Using the region’s scientific expertise along with international research and ideas, the City framed its report around five key principles:

1. Generate multiple benefits where possible
2. Incorporate local involvement in design and decision-making
3. Create layers of protection by working at multiple scales (multiple, independent lines of defense that work in coordination with one another)
4. Design in flexibility and adaptability (to account for continually changing conditions as well as uncertainty in projections)
5. Leverage efforts in conjunction with building cycles (what actions, such as road repaving, are scheduled to be done already?)

These principles are aligned with best-practice guidelines for climate change adaptations, aiming to provide a layered, flexible approach that results in strong, resilient protections for City citizens. These principles also encourage working efficiently within existing City plans and Emergency Preparedness frameworks, which speeds up the process of implementation and minimizes the financial burden on local taxpayers.

One of the most groundbreaking approaches in the report, however, is its focus on community outreach and involvement. The report encourages extensive information sharing for, and input from, City citizens and local advocacy groups. As with any climate impact & adaptation assessment, the ultimate goal is to produce the best outcomes for impacted citizens. Citizen awareness, input, and, ultimately, buy-in are the most crucial aspects of this strategy and can make the difference between a successful plan and one that is not. Placing an emphasis on public outreach and involvement increases the plan’s on-the-ground knowledge that only community leaders can provide, such as critical local resilience opportunities and generating ideas for solving multiple challenges at once in their communities. All of this leads to increased community support for the plan’s implementation and long-term maintenance.

Of particular note is the City of Boston’s efforts to aim adaptation and resilience efforts toward its citizens who need it most. Older citizens, children, people with disabilities, people with limited English proficiency, and other groups may not have access to helpful information or economic resources that can help protect themselves and their families from the effects of climate change and rising sea levels. Efforts to reach these populations are a targeted effort of the Climate Ready Boston report, and can enhance protection for Boston’s most vulnerable communities. Also of note is the plan’s proposal of work programs, which can provide valuable job opportunities for unemployed citizens in encouraging climate resiliency; installation and maintenance of green infrastructure, performing property resilience audits, and resilience retrofitting are among the opportunities available for Boston citizens under the plan’s guidelines. Additionally, prioritizing the use of minority- and women- owned businesses is a component of the plan that can benefit smaller enterprises not as likely to be involved in this type of work.

All of these components speak to a remarkably comprehensive, well-thought-out plan that not only identifies the specific impacts Boston will face in the coming decades, but also uses the latest science and in-depth local knowledge to target responses to the organizations and communities where it is best suited. The result is a multi-faceted, appropriately-targeted approach that includes many different stakeholders from around the City and aims to serve all citizens effectively. There is certainly no one-size-fits-all approach to climate change adaptation, and the Climate Ready Boston 2016 report serves this notion well. Its incorporation of peer reviewed scientific research and local information leads to a climate plan that is remarkably up-to-date, holistic, and targeted for its population. The report leaves Boston better prepared to deal with this increasingly severe situation, and can serve as a model for other municipalities across the United States that are just learning to deal with climate change and sea level rise.

For more information, please visit https://www.boston.gov/departments/environment/climate-ready-boston

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