[ad_1]
A $ 1 million grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) will allow researchers at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) of the University of Hawaii at Mānoa to pursue the the work of the late Ruth Gates to develop corals more resistant to the effects of climate change and the creation of reefs providing natural protection of the coastline.
Members of the Gates Coral Lab are depositing more resilient coral fragments in an experimental nursery located in Kaneohe Bay. Photo of Shayle Matsuda.
Coral reefs are the most diverse and endangered of designated "resilience poles" that protect communities, fish and wildlife. These ecosystems can dissipate up to 97% of the wave energy caused by storms and mitigate the effects of sea level rise, thus ensuring coastal protection at around 200 million. people in the world. However, it is expected that only 10% of corals will survive beyond 2050 as ocean temperatures continue to rise.
Gates, who was director of HIMB until his death last month, was leading an effort to develop "super corals" in order to withstand the increasingly hot and acidic seawater, which makes the coral vulnerable to bleaching and massive death.
While the Coral Assisted Evolution project, funded by Paul G. Allen Philanthropies, will continue to explore ways to create "super corals", the new funding will address coastal protection by restoring selected reefs in Hawaii with these resilient corals.
"We are more than happy because it allows us to continue the vision of Ruth's research," said Kira Hughes, Project Manager at Gates Coral Lab. "More importantly, it allows the lab members to stay together as a team, so we can do research in Ruth's honor."
With funding from NFWF, Gates will work with new partners, the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Hawaii Aquatic Resources Department (DAR) and Mālama Maunalua (MM).
During this innovative three-year project, the team will identify coral stocks that are more resilient to heat stress and develop them in the future. in situ nurseries and spread them along the southern and eastern shores of Oahu. Two of Hawaii's key reef-building species will be targeted at three sites: Kane'ohe Bay, Maunalua Bay and near Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.
NOAA and DAR have a specific mandate to restore coral and have existing licenses. HIMB provides expertise on coral heat stress tolerance, and MM will engage community members to improve transferability.
Partners plan to develop an effective natural coastal protection model for communities, fish and wildlife, with best practices that can be expanded for maximum impact.
Hughes said, "The end result is the protection of the shoreline against coral reefs that are more resistant to heat stress."
The Dr. Ruth D. Gates Memorial Student Support Fund was created to continue its world-class research legacy and efforts to preserve coral reefs from global warming by supporting the next generation of scientists. Donations to this fund will support undergraduate and graduate students conducting coral reef research at the Hawaiian Institute of Marine Biology at the University of Hawaii in Mānoa.
To support this fund, go online.
[ad_2]
Source link
