Climate Change Action Plan for the Florida Reef System 2010-2015

More documents

Recommendations

Info

ConclusionAn analysis of climate projections indicatesthat coral bleaching events will become morefrequent and severe over coming decades,even under optimistic scenarios. Otherclimate change impacts such as sea level riseand severe weather events can also endangerlocal reef survival through chronic stress oracute physical damage.Scientist examining coral bleaching © Erich BartelsClimate change is acknowledged as one of themost serious threats to the long-term healthof coral reefs worldwide. Already, in manyplaces around the world such as the Maldives,Seychelles and northeastern Caribbean Sea,coral bleaching has severely degraded morethan 50 percent of reefs.Florida’s coral reefs are not immune to climatechange. There have already been observablesigns of vulnerability in the form of masscoral bleaching events in 1983, 1987, 1990,1997 and 1998. In each of these years, mostFlorida Keys coral reefs were affected bybleaching. Fortunately, many corals survivedthe high temperatures and are exhibitingresilience—the ability to recover—yet manysuffered lasting damage, which led to a steadydecline in coral cover throughout Florida’swell-developed system of reefs.On a broader scale, carbon dioxide-inducedocean acidification is already decreasing theconcentration of calcium carbonate in seawater, which limits the rate at which coralsbuild their hard skeletons and will eventuallystart dissolving available calcium carbonatefrom the ocean’s living and fossil reefs.The findings and recommendations in theClimate Change Action Plan for theFlorida Reef System 2010-2015 offer greathope for these reefs. Actions reef managersand reef users take today—combined withfavorable state, national and internationalclimate and energy policies and other largescale “enabling conditions” (see Appendix2)—can increase the resilience of Florida’sreefs and help protect this vital element of thestate’s economic base.But the importance of this work goesfar beyond just Florida. By taking actionnow, responsible federal, state and localgovernment agencies can provide globalleadership in the management of coral reefecosystems facing threats from climate change.8 2010–2015 — Climate Change Action Plan for the Florida Reef System
Appendix 1 • Detailed priority outcomes and action stepsOutcome 1: Increased coral reefresilience to climate change and oceanacidification through effectivemanagement strategies and actions. (10)Objective 1.1: Develop and implement a climaterelatedcrisis response plan for Florida’s reefsystem that coordinates across all relevantjurisdictions in order to provide a framework forearly warning, communication, monitoring,research, and management response with the goalof minimizing and documenting impacts on reefecosystems from acute events such as mass coralbleaching, infectious disease outbreaks, tropicalstorm impacts, cold snaps and pollutant spills. (10)••Action 1.1.1: Continue and expand theFRRP disturbance response monitoring(DRM) and Mote Marine Laboratory’sBleach Watch activities throughout theentire five-county (Monroe, Miami-Dade,Broward, Palm Beach and Martin) FloridaReef System. (1)••Action 1.1.2: Review local and regionalmanagement responses to coral bleachingand integrate plans to incorporate theentire Florida Reef System region. (1, 8, 14)Objective 1.2: Encourage and promotemanagement actions that help avoid or minimizeimpacts, and spread the risks of climate changeand ocean acidification. (10)••Action 1.2.1: Integrate climate changeinducedcrisis response strategies for theentire Florida Reef System into existing andnewly created reef management plans. (1)••Action 1.2.2: Develop and implement aregionally inclusive marine zoning plan thatincorporates resilience-based concepts toprovide maximum protection from nonclimatestresses in representative habitatsacross all reefs in the Florida Reef System.Shallow nursery habitat with a nurse shark, seagrass meadow andmangrove islands © Bill KeoghThis plan must also ensure connectivitybetween reefs and their associated nurseryhabitats. (1, 2, 4, 7, 8)••Action 1.2.3: Identify and protect transitionor alternative habitats that will provide forrange shifts in distribution and abundanceof species and habitats affected by climatechange. (1, 2) Examine areas in the northerncoral range and particularly healthy pocketsthroughout the present range in Floridaand Gulf of Mexico as potential refugia. (4)••Action 1.2.4: Protect species and habitatsthat are highly vulnerable to climate change(e.g. corals, marine turtles, mangroves, etc.)from non-climate pressures (e.g. directdamage from divers, fishing gear, anchorsor boats, beach nourishment, coastalconstruction impacts, land-based sources ofpollution).Climate Change Action Plan for the Florida Reef System — 2010–20159
Page 4 and 5: Management of Florida’s Reef Syst
Page 6 and 7: Stony corals, soft corals, sponges
Page 10 and 11: ••Action 1.2.5: Ensure informat
Page 13 and 14: Outcome 3: Strengthen the scientifi
Page 15 and 16: Appendix 3 • Coral Reef and Clima
Page 17 and 18: ReferencesIPCC AR4 WGII. Climate Ch
Page 20: © Jeff Ripple

Climate Change Action Plan for the Florida Reef System 2010-2015

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?