Researchers studying coral reefs damaged by rising sea temperatures have discovered an unexpected ‘bright spot’ of hope for communities who depend upon them for food security.
Coral reef ecosystems support diverse small-scale fisheries – and the fish they catch are rich in micronutrients vital to the health of millions of people in the tropics, a new Lancaster University-led study reveals.
And, counter-intuitively, following bleaching events that kill off coral and can transform the composition of reef ecosystems, reef fisheries can remain rich sources of micronutrients, even increasing in nutritional value for some minerals.
The findings, published today in the journal One Earth, show that the availability of micronutrients from coral reef small-scale fisheries may be more resilient to climate change than previously thought. This increased understanding is critical as continued global warming means coral bleaching events are becoming more frequent and more severe, placing greater stress on these vulnerable ecosystems.
Dr James Robinson, who led the study, said: “Our findings underline the continuing importance of these fisheries for vulnerable coastal communities, and the need to protect against over-fishing to ensure long-term sustainability of reef fisheries.”
The researchers also caution that while these fisheries have proved more resilient to climate change disturbance than expected, continued understanding of the long-term impacts of climate change to coral reef fisheries, and more data from other regions, are urgent priorities.
Read more at: Lancaster University
A recovering coral reef, Seychelles (Photo Credit: Professor Nick Graham)