Strategic conservation and management of coral reefs in the Anthropocene

With the future of tropical coral reefs in jeopardy, solutions are urgently needed that can address both local and global anthropogenic stressors. Here, we evaluate the influence of 21 climate, social, and environmental... [ view full abstract ]

With the future of tropical coral reefs in jeopardy, solutions are urgently needed that can address both local and global anthropogenic stressors. Here, we evaluate the influence of 21 climate, social, and environmental drivers on the abundance of four reef coral functional ‘types’ using an unprecedented ecological dataset of 2,584 Indo-Pacific coral communities. Higher abundances of important framework-building corals were associated with: weaker past thermal disturbances and longer recovery intervals; slower human population growth; less access by human settlements and markets; and less nearby agricultural use. We further identify a small subset of reefs (n = 449, or 17.4%) that were exposed to limited thermal stress during the third global coral bleaching event in 2014-2017. Under the stewardship of 22 countries, these reefs are immediate policy priorities to manage and mitigate stressors to sustain the last, functioning reefs of the Indo-Pacific.