Coral reefs are the most diverse and biomass-rich ecosystems in the ocean, which providing rich marine fishery resources and other ecosystem services. However, ocean warming and ocean acidification caused by global warming have led to extensive bleaching and death of reef-building corals around the world, a process exacerbated by successive outbreaks, such as that of Acanthaster planci, in addition to overfishing. These factors have severely affected biological resources and biodiversity, with some corals experiencing significant biodiversity loss.
In the past 30 years, about half of the world's coral reefs have disappeared. Therefore, to conserve the coral reef ecosystems, it is necessary to study the species diversity of coral reef systems, the functional diversity and evolution of key reef dwellers, the formation and coevolution of endosymbiosis in reef dwellers, as well as to understand the threats faced by coral reefs and reef dwellers. This knowledge will together help us develop effective conservation management strategies. The goal of this Research Topic is to bring together and encourage collaboration between coral reefs ecologists, conservation practitioners, and beyond.
We encourage the submissions of hypothesis-driven and cross-disciplinary research on coral reefs and reef-dwelling biodiversity, specifically addressing the links between ecology and conservation. We welcome the submission of original research articles, reviews, short communications, policy letters, perspectives, and opinions pieces on themes including but not limited to:
- Adaptive evolution of coral reef organisms and their physiological and ecological responses to environmental stress;
- Spatial and temporal dynamics of symbiotic relationship diversity between coral and zooxanthellae, co-evolution and physiological regulation of symbiotic functional bodies, coral bleaching mechanism, etc;
- Coral reef restoration and related protection policy and protection practice establishment.
Coral reefs are the most diverse and biomass-rich ecosystems in the ocean, which providing rich marine fishery resources and other ecosystem services. However, ocean warming and ocean acidification caused by global warming have led to extensive bleaching and death of reef-building corals around the world, a process exacerbated by successive outbreaks, such as that of Acanthaster planci, in addition to overfishing. These factors have severely affected biological resources and biodiversity, with some corals experiencing significant biodiversity loss.
In the past 30 years, about half of the world's coral reefs have disappeared. Therefore, to conserve the coral reef ecosystems, it is necessary to study the species diversity of coral reef systems, the functional diversity and evolution of key reef dwellers, the formation and coevolution of endosymbiosis in reef dwellers, as well as to understand the threats faced by coral reefs and reef dwellers. This knowledge will together help us develop effective conservation management strategies. The goal of this Research Topic is to bring together and encourage collaboration between coral reefs ecologists, conservation practitioners, and beyond.
We encourage the submissions of hypothesis-driven and cross-disciplinary research on coral reefs and reef-dwelling biodiversity, specifically addressing the links between ecology and conservation. We welcome the submission of original research articles, reviews, short communications, policy letters, perspectives, and opinions pieces on themes including but not limited to:
- Adaptive evolution of coral reef organisms and their physiological and ecological responses to environmental stress;
- Spatial and temporal dynamics of symbiotic relationship diversity between coral and zooxanthellae, co-evolution and physiological regulation of symbiotic functional bodies, coral bleaching mechanism, etc;
- Coral reef restoration and related protection policy and protection practice establishment.