Life Sciences Commons^™

Climate-Change Refugia In The Sheltered Bays Of Palau: Analogs Of Future Reefs, Robert Van Woesik, Peter Houk, Adelle L. Isechal, Jacques W. Idechong, Steven Victor, Yimnang Golbuu

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Coral bleaching and mortality are predicted to increase as climate changeinduced thermal-stress events become more frequent. Although many studies document coral bleaching and mortality patterns, few studies have examined deviations from the expected positive relationships among thermal stress, coral bleaching, and coral mortality. This study examined the response of >30,000 coral colonies at 80 sites in Palau, during a regional thermal-stress event in 2010. We sought to determine the spatial and taxonomic nature of bleaching and examine whether any habitats were comparatively resistant to thermal stress. Bleaching was most severe in the northwestern lagoon, in accordance with satellite-derived maximum temperatures …