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Coral Reefs: An Ecosystem in Transition pp 3–10Cite as

Coral Research: Past Efforts and Future Horizons

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Abstract

Modern coral reefs had their origins in the Triassic Period, and over the past 65 million years, have expanded and contracted due to a variety of extrinsic factors such as sea level and climatic changes. As humans evolved, so did a new era for coral reefs: that of exposure to anthropogenic stressors on top of the already persistent natural events such as hurricanes/typhoons, volcanic eruptions and Acanthaster plancii outbreaks. Early studies of corals and coral reefs focused on taxonomy, ecology and physiology. The establishment of reef-based marine laboratories and technological advances in SCUBA enabled a rapid expansion of in situ studies and the ability to compare reef processes and changes over both space and time. The documented declines in the state of coral reefs worldwide have shifted the focus of many research programs from basic to applied and management-directed research. Expanded studies of reproductive processes, animal-algal symbioses, molecular genetics, ecotoxicology, connectivity, ecological modelling, calcification, cellular biology and biochemistry have allowed researchers to better understand how coral reefs function and how best to respond to a variety of stressors. Coral reef research has necessarily become multidisciplinary in nature, embracing the social and economic as well as the biophysical sciences. In the face of increasing effects of stressors tied to local activities such as poor land-use practices, and mounting concerns tied to global climate change, the bridging of science to policy development, management and conservation is critical if there is to be a legacy of vital reefs left for future generations to enjoy.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge research support for elements of this chapter from NOAA/CSCOR, and a Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation to RHR. This chapter is dedicated to the memory of Prof. Kiyoshi Yamazato, a pioneer in coral reef research and its applications, and an advocate for international cooperation and collaboration in supporting coral reef conservation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kewalo Marine Laboratory, University of Hawaii, 41 Ahui Street, Honolulu, HI, 96813, USA

    Robert H. Richmond

  2. James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia

    Eric Wolanski

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  1. Robert H. Richmond
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  2. Eric Wolanski
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Correspondence to Robert H. Richmond .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , The Mina & Everard Goodman Fac. of Life, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 52900, Israel

    Zvy Dubinsky

  2. , The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 52900, Israel

    Noga Stambler

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Richmond, R.H., Wolanski, E. (2011). Coral Research: Past Efforts and Future Horizons. In: Dubinsky, Z., Stambler, N. (eds) Coral Reefs: An Ecosystem in Transition. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0114-4_1

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