Our latest study," Underlying drivers of coral reef vulnerability to bleaching in the Mesoamerican Reef," has now been published in Communications Biology! This research provides new insights to better predict bleaching severity and the vulnerability of Caribbean coral reefs to Global Warming. By applying a predictive bleaching vulnerability framework, we improved our capabilities of predicting both heat stress exposure and reef sensitivity, identifying high-risk areas, first step for the design of more accurate protection policies.
The study used machine learning models to integrate various data sources and forecasting bleaching risks in coral reefs. By employing a bleaching vulnerability framework, we analyzed heat stress exposure alongside reef sensitivity to pinpoint high-risk areas. Our method identified several heat stress metrics and stresses the value of using a more diverse set of metrics, environmental and intrinsic of the coral community, moving beyond a single parameter such as NOAA's Degree Heating Weeks. This allowed deliver a more comprehensive understanding of reef vulnerability. Collaborative efforts and data-sharing networks are fundamental to improve early warning systems, finding solution to enhance coral reef resilience and tackle the escalating threats posed by climate change.
Read the full article here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-024-07128-y
