Guest Author - Wendy Amato

Marine reserves across the globe should be extended because coral reefs are more susceptible to environmental change than previously thought, Australian researchers say.

Researchers from James Cook University (JCU) said their study had major implications for the long-term survival of corals after disproving current conservation theories.

The study found much more variability in coral reefs than expected, probably because of the influence that environmental conditions have on reefs. This would mean that the current approach of preserving only isolated reefs is too risky, because sooner or later that reef is going to be hit by a disturbance. And unless there are nearby healthy reefs to repopulate it, it will eventually die out.

The scientists recommend networking and extending protected marine areas across national borders to help reefs cope with environmental changes expected with global warming.

Corals are not always suited to a particular condition or location, and need to disperse their offspring widely to ensure their survival when conditions change, according to researchers. Most marine protected areas around the world are too small and too isolated to preserve the links between populations on different reefs. This increases the risk that a rare group of animals could go extinct unless they can colonise a more favourable reef.