“Hope is hard” - Shedd Aquarium’s recent research expedition reveals alarming extent of coral mortality in Florida

Business Announcement

SHEDD AQUARIUM

 

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SHEDD SCIENTIST SURVEYS EXTEND OF CORAL MORTALITY IN FLORIDA REEFS THROUGH SCUBA DIVE OBSERVATION

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CREDIT: ©SHEDD AQUARIUM/GAVIN WRIGHT

Scientists from Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium, a leader in conservation research, returned from a multi-institutional research expedition to survey coral bleaching impacts from Miami and the Florida Keys to the Dry Tortugas, following an unprecedented rise in ocean temperatures. The week-long trip revealed that 90-95 percent of corals showed signs of extreme bleaching, and some coral species, such as endangered staghorn and elkhorn coral, were nearly all dead – a testament to how quickly water temperatures soared. Researchers at Shedd, who have long been studying coral heat tolerance, stress that Florida may be a bellwether for the future of coral reefs globally, if the climate continues to warm.

“With record high temperatures since July, we were expecting severe bleaching and prepared ourselves for the worst-case scenario, and that is unfortunately what we witnessed,” said Dr. Ross Cunning, research biologist at Shedd Aquarium. “For Shedd Aquarium, this trip begs two big questions: how do we prepare and safeguard other corals for future warming, and how can we accelerate efforts to enhance heat tolerance and give corals a chance for survival in hotter oceans?”

Aboard Shedd’s research vessel, the Coral Reef II, Shedd researchers hosted partners from the University of Miami, Palm Beach Zoo and the University of Southern California who collaborated to visit and survey 76 coral sites and report their findings to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). The group witnessed the effects of the bleaching get worse the further they ventured south. What was once colorful, thriving coral a few months prior is now stark white, indicating severe bleaching or worse – covered in algae – an indicator that the living coral tissue is gone.

While the team had hoped to bring back hundreds of genetically unique staghorn corals from the Dry Tortugas to the University of Miami’s land-based facilities for gene banking and restoration, they found that the abundant populations they had seen and studied on a previous research expedition just two months earlier suffered almost complete mortality from the extreme heat stress. The few living fragments that remained were severely bleached, and researchers believe their chances of recovery are extremely low.

Even after searching extensively throughout the Dry Tortugas – down to depths of 60 feet where researchers hoped for a greater chance for survivors – not a single viable staghorn coral was found.

“In moments like this it can feel difficult to tell a story with hope,” said Dr. Shayle Matsuda, research biologist at Shedd Aquarium. “This drastic bleaching may spread globally in the next one to two years. Our research efforts to find and save corals with higher levels of heat tolerance is more critical now than it has ever been before.”

Ocean temperatures across the globe have been steadily increasing as a direct result of climate change. These high, sometimes record-setting temperatures are sustained for months – in this case leading to the fast and expansive coral mortality event. El Nino, a climate pattern that is characterized by unusually high ocean temperatures, exacerbated conditions in the Florida Keys, which registered temperatures well above their seasonal peak early in the summer.

For the past several years, Shedd Aquarium’s research team has been focused on learning more about the natural variance of heat tolerance in coral to determine how interventions harnessing genetics or microbial conditions can help corals withstand higher ocean temperatures. Unfortunately, large colonies of elkhorn and staghorn coral that were the focus of various research and restoration efforts were wiped out by this mass bleaching.

“Tragically, our mission turned from rescue to witness," said Cunning. “This is the worst bleaching event in history, and the impacts the high temperatures have had on Florida’s genetic coral diversity cannot be overstated.”

Despite this setback, Shedd Aquarium remains more committed than ever to working with partners in Florida and beyond to monitor native reefs and advocate for stronger coral safeguards and intervention strategies as ocean temperatures continue to rise.

What You Can Do

• Commit to stopping climate change: Combating the effects of climate change is the most impactful effort we can make individually and as a society to ensure the longevity of our planet and the future of coral populations. Anyone interested in learning more about climate change and how to make an impact can join Surge, Shedd’s free, premier digital advocacy community that includes conservation-focused news and action alerts that provide tangible and timely ways to act and advocate for wildlife.
• Help protect corals from local stressors like dredging: In 2019, Shedd published a paper with colleagues from Miami Waterkeeper and the University of Miami describing widespread coral mortality caused by dredging at the PortMiami that was done to make way for larger cargo ships. Years later, NOAA has released a report on the impacts of the dredging with some new analysis and data, affirming the findings in 2019 — that millions of corals were likely killed. With more potential dredging on the horizon, Shedd is asking the public to support Miami Waterkeeper in calling for the Army Corps of Engineers to fix the impacts from the last dredging, document lessons learned and direct any mitigation funding to scale up coral restoration at industrial levels.
• Encourage Funding for Coral Futures: Making a donation to organizations like Shedd Aquarium can directly fuel ongoing coral research and intervention efforts.

VISUALS: High-res photos and video from Shedd Aquarium’s recent coral monitoring trip to the Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas can be viewed and downloaded here: https://personal.filesanywhere.com/fs/v.aspx?v=8e6e678d596176bba968. 

Photo credit: ©Shedd Aquarium/Gavin Wright
Coral side-by-side credit: ©Shedd Aquarium/Ross Cunning
Video credit: ©Shedd Aquarium/Sam Cejtin

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About Shedd Aquarium  

The John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago sparks compassion, curiosity and conservation for the aquatic animal world. Home to 32,000 aquatic animals representing 1,500 species of fishes, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, birds and mammals from waters around the globe, Shedd is a recognized leader in animal care, conservation education and research. An accredited member of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), the organization is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and supported by the people of Chicago, the State of Illinois and the Chicago Park District. www.sheddaquarium.org    

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METHOD OF RESEARCH

Survey

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Animals

 

Understanding greenhouse gases in oil palm plantations

Research team led by Göttingen University investigates nitrous oxide emissions in Jambi

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF GÖTTINGEN

 

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DRONE VIEW OF OIL PALM PLANTATION WITH TOWER TO MEASURE N2O EMISSIONS

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CREDIT: ANNAGGADIPA R. JAMBI

The rapid spread of oil palm plantations and associated high use of fertilizer raises concerns about the emission of nitrous oxide (N2O), a powerful greenhouse gas. A new study by an international research team led by the University of Göttingen shows that oil palms’ photosynthesis and their response to meteorological and soil conditions play an important but still widely unexplored role in the amount of N2O produced by oil palm plantations. The results are important for strategies to reduce the negative impact of N2O emissions from oil palm cultivation by selecting appropriate locations and improving plantation management. The study was published in the journal Global Change Biology – Bioenergy.

During recent decades, rising global demand for cheap oils and fats has promoted the expansion of oil palm plantations in tropical regions. High yields of palm oil are typically achieved by a high use of fertilizer. However, high fertilizer levels or inappropriate timing of fertilizer application may cause environmental problems such as increased emissions of N2O. The scientists carried out their research in a mature plantation in Jambi, Indonesia, with the aim of quantifying N2O emissions in oil palm and assessing environmental and meteorological drivers of N2O emissions over different timescales.

“The timing and location of N2O emissions in oil palm plantations vary hugely, which means it is really difficult to estimate emissions. This has really hampered our understanding of cause-and-effect relationships,” says first author Dr Christian Stiegler from the Bioclimatology Group, University of Göttingen. “However, we found that variations in N2O emissions are strongly linked to oil palm metabolism and the oil palms’ response to meteorological and soil conditions. Over the course of the day, for instance, emissions were mainly related to oil palm photosynthesis. During the night, we could link the level of emissions to oil palm respiration and soil temperature. Over longer periods of time, meaning several days to several weeks, we found that changes in weather patterns, soil moisture and soil temperature directly impact oil palm photosynthesis, respiration and N2O production in the soil and therefore N2O emissions,” explains Stiegler. This multitude of drivers interacting over various time periods imposes high demands on how the effects could be measured. The study also shows that conventional measurement approaches that do not take into account how N2O is transported within individual oil palms risk underestimating N2O emissions from oil palm cultivation by 49%.

“The oil palm plantation that we studied is a strong local source of N2O, with up to 77% higher emissions compared to natural forest systems in Jambi province,” explains Professor Alexander Knohl, senior author and head of the Bioclimatology Group, University of Göttingen. “This research highlights how important it is to quantify N2O emissions in oil palm and to understand their dynamics and the controlling factors. This will allow farmers to develop optimal fertilizer management systems adapted to the age of the palms, nitrogen requirements of each plant, and local soil and climate condition for mitigating the negative impacts of oil palm cultivation by reducing N2O emissions.”

This research is part of the German-Indonesian Collaborative Research Centre “Ecological and Socioeconomic Functions of Tropical Lowland Rainforest Transformation Systems (EFForTS)”, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). Further information can be found here: www.uni-goettingen.de/efforts.

Original publication: Christian Stiegler et al. Temporal variation in nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes from an oil palm plantation in Indonesia: an ecosystem-scale analysis. Global Change Biology – Bioenergy. DOI: 10.1111/gcbb.13088

https://www.uni-goettingen.de/en/544871.html

Ecosystem-scale measurement system and view from the tower over oil palm plantation in Jambi, Indonesia.

CREDIT

Christian Stiegler

JOURNAL

GCB Bioenergy

DOI

10.1111/gcbb.13088 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Temporal variation in nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes from an oil palm plantation in Indonesia: an ecosystem-scale analysis

 

Despite denouncements, conversion practices remain prevalent for sexual and gender minority individuals - with estimates centering on 1 in 10 - and prevalence differences by country, race and sex assignment at birth

Peer-Reviewed Publication

PLOS

Despite denouncements, conversion practices remain prevalent for sexual and gender minority individuals - with estimates centering on 1 in 10 - and prevalence differences by country, race and sex assignment at birth

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Article URL:  https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0291768

Article Title: A systematic review of the prevalence of lifetime experience with ‘conversion’ practices among sexual and gender minority populations

Author Countries: Canada

Funding: TS, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (PCS - 168193) https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

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JOURNAL

PLoS ONE

DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0291768 

ARTICLE TITLE

A systematic review of the prevalence of lifetime experience with ‘conversion’ practices among sexual and gender minority populations

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

4-Oct-2023

 

Prehistoric people occupied upland regions of inland Spain in even the coldest periods of the last Ice Age

15,000-21,000 years ago, inland Iberia may have been more populated than traditionally thought

Peer-Reviewed Publication

PLOS

 

IMAGE: VIEW FROM THE TOP OF THE CHARCO VERDE II ARCHEOLOGICAL DEPOSIT DURING THE 2021 EXCAVATION SEASON. view more 

CREDIT: ARAGONCILLO-DEL RÍO ET AL., 2023, PLOS ONE, CC-BY 4.0 (HTTPS://CREATIVECOMMONS.ORG/LICENSES/BY/4.0/)

Paleolithic human populations survived even in the coldest and driest upland parts of Spain, according to a study published October 4, 2023 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Manuel Alcaraz-Castaño of the University of Alcalá, Spain, Javier Aragoncillo-del Rió of the Molina-Alto Tajo UNESCO Global Geopark, Spain and colleagues.

Research into ancient hunter-gatherer populations of the Iberian Peninsula has mainly focused on coastal regions, with relatively little investigation into the inland. A classic hypothesis has been that the cold and dry conditions of inland Iberia would have been too harsh for such populations to inhabit during the coldest periods of the Last Glacial, but recent findings have begun to challenge this view. In this study, researchers report new evidence for high-altitude human occupation from the Upper Paleolithic of Spain.

This evidence comes from a site called Charco Verde II, located in the Guadalajara province. This site is situated over 1,000 meters above sea level, in one of the coldest regions of Spain. Despite this, the abundance of tools and ornaments at the site reveals a recurring sequence of human occupation between around 21,000 and 15,000 years ago. This time span is especially notable since it includes two of the coldest periods of the Last Glacial.

This discovery further challenges the idea that Upper Palaeolithic humans avoided inland Iberia due to its harsh climate, and instead shows that the inland hosted complex and relatively dense settlements even during very cold and arid periods. These findings add to the growing evidence for Middle and Upper Paleolithic occupations throughout this region, altogether indicating that the historic lack of evidence for hunter-gatherer sites in inland Iberia is not an accurate reflection of prehistoric human distributions, but instead a result of modern research hitherto prioritizing study of coastal regions and neglecting the inland.

Selection of lithic artifacts collected at the Charco Verde II site. All come from Level 1 except number 3, which was found on the ground Surface of the archeological deposit, and number 6, recorded at the fluvial terrace below the slope. 1 & 4: Endscrapers on blades. 2, 3 & 6: Canted dihedral burins. 5 & 7: Large blades. 8: Unidirectional blade core. 9: Backed bladelet. 10: Denticulated backed bladelet. 11: Unidirectional bladelet core.

CREDIT

Aragoncillo-del Río et al., 2023, PLOS ONE, CC-BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available article in PLOS ONE: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0291516

Citation: Aragoncillo-del Río J, Alcolea-González J-J, Luque L, Castillo-Jiménez S, Jiménez-Gisbert G, López-Sáez J-A, et al. (2023) Human occupations of upland and cold environments in inland Spain during the Last Glacial Maximum and Heinrich Stadial 1: The new Magdalenian sequence of Charco Verde II. PLoS ONE 18(10): e0291516. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0291516

Author Countries: Spain

Funding: This research has been funded by the European Research Council (ERC) (https://erc.europa.eu/homepage) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No 805478; MULTIPALEOIBERIA project: https://multipaleoiberia.com/; Principal Investigator: MA-C). The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

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JOURNAL

PLoS ONE

DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0291516 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Observational study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Human occupations of upland and cold environments in inland Spain during the Last Glacial Maximum and Heinrich Stadial 1: The new Magdalenian sequence of Charco Verde II

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

4-Oct-2023

Analysis of grinding tools reveals plant, pigment and bone processing in Neolithic Northern Saudi Arabia

Peer-Reviewed Publication

MAX PLANCK INSTITUTE OF GEOANTHROPOLOGY

 

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RE-FIT OF A GRINDING STONE FROM JEBEL ORAF

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CREDIT: CERI SHIPTON

In recent years, studies have revealed that the now-arid region of northern Arabia was once much wetter and greener, providing Neolithic human populations with access to both water and game. The present aridity of the region, however, preserves little organic matter, making a reconstruction of the Neolithic lifestyle difficult.

Now, in a new study published in the journal PLOS ONE, researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, the National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Heritage Science (CNR ISPC), and University College London present use-wear analysis of grinding tools recovered from Jebel Oraf in the Nefud desert of Saudi Arabia, revealing new insights into this little-understood chapter of the human story. Use-wear analysis shows that grinding tools were used for the processing of bone, pigment and plants, and were sometimes re-used for different purposes during their life span, before finally being broken up and placed on hearths.

In the new study, researchers use high-powered microscopes to compare use-wear patterns on the archaeological tools with those on experimental tools. In experiments, the grinding of grains, other plants, bone or pigment produces distinctive macro- and micro-traces on the tools’ used surface, including fractures, edge rounding of individual grains, levelled areas, striations, and different types of polish. These distinctive traces were also identified on the Neolithic grinding tools, allowing the scientists to determine which materials were being processed. 

Although faunal remains have previously revealed that meat was cooked and consumed at Jebel Oraf, wear patterns indicate that meat and bones were first processed on grindstones, revealing the possibility that bones were broken to access bone marrow.

Grinding tools were also used to process plants. While there is no evidence for domesticated grains in northern Arabia in this period, the authors argue that wild plants were ground and perhaps baked into simple breads.

“The hearths where we found the grinding tools were extremely short-lived, and people may have been very mobile – breads would have made a good and easily transportable food for them,” says Maria Guagnin, researcher at the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology and one of the study’s lead authors.

The researchers also found evidence of pigment processing, which they argue may be linked to Neolithic paintings. Their findings reveal that pigment was ground and processed on a much larger scale than previously assumed, suggesting there may have been more painted Neolithic rock art than the few surviving panels suggest.

“It is clear grinding tools were important for the Neolithic occupants of Jebel Oraf. Many were heavily used, and some even had holes in them that suggest they were transported. That means people carried heavy grinding tools with them and their functionality must have been an important element in daily life,” says Giulio Lucarini of the National Research Council of Italy, the study’s other lead author.

This type of analysis has only rarely been applied to archaeological materials from the Arabian peninsula, but can provide important information on the manufacture, use, and re-use of grinding tools, which in turn provides insight into the subsistence, economy, and art of the people who produced them.

Researchers involved in this study work in close partnership with the Saudi Ministry of Culture. Additional partners include King Saud University and key institutions in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia.

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JOURNAL

PLoS ONE

DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0291085 

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Plant, pigment, and bone processing in the Neolithic of northern Arabia – New evidence from use-wear analysis of grinding tools at Jebel Oraf

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

4-Oct-2023

 

Early human migrants followed lush corridor-route out of Africa

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON

 

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ONE OF TWO FLAKES, OR HAND TOOLS, SEEN FROM THREE DIFFERENT ANGLES, DISCOVERED IN THE JORDAN RIFT VALLEY. THE FLAKES HELPED SCIENTISTS DATE HUMAN MIGRATION.

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CREDIT: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON

An international team of scientists has found early human migrants left Africa for Eurasia, across the Sinai peninsula and on through Jordan, over 80-thousand years ago.

Researchers from the University of Southampton (UK) and Shantou University (China), together with colleagues in Jordan, Australia and the Czech Republic(1), have proved there was a “well-watered corridor” which funnelled hunter-gatherers through The Levant towards western Asia and northern Arabia via Jordan.

Their findings, published in the journal Science Advances, support previous research conducted in Arabia suggesting this green, overland route, which is now desert, was favoured by travelling Homo sapiens heading north.

‘Modern’ humans evolved in Africa between 300 and 200 thousand years ago and dispersed out of the continent in several stages. It’s thought that over tens of thousands of years they went on to populate Asia and then Europe.

For this latest research, the team conducted fieldwork in the Jordan Rift Valley where they uncovered hand tools, known as ‘flakes’, on the edge of wadis – now dry river channels which, tens of thousands of years ago, were full of water. The scientists used luminescence dating techniques to help establish the age of the sediment the tools were buried in. This method estimates how long it has been since sediment was last exposed to light.

The results showed the tools were likely to have been used approximately 84 thousand years ago and then abandoned on the banks of the wadis and subsequently buried over time.

Paul Carling, Professor of Geomorphology at the University of Southampton, comments: “It’s long been thought that when the sea level was low, humans used a southern crossing, via the Red Sea from the horn of Africa, to get to southwestern Arabia. However, our study confirms there was a well-trodden passage to the north, across the only land-route from Africa to Eurasia.

“Our newly published evidence is a key piece of the puzzle that shows humans migrated using a northern route – using small wetland areas as bases whilst hunting abundant wildlife in the drier grasslands.   Although previous studies have looked for large lakes as potential watering holes, in fact small wetlands were very important as staging posts during the migration.”

Dr Mahmoud Abbas, the study’s lead author from Shantou University, China, said: “The Levant acted as a well-watered corridor for modern humans to disperse out of Africa during the last interglacial, and we have now demonstrated this is the case in the Jordan Rift Valley zone.

“The paleohydrological evidence from the Jordan desert enhances our understanding of the environmental setting at that time. Rather than dry desert, savannah grasslands would have provided the much-needed resources for humans to survive during their journey out of Africa and into southwest Asia and beyond.”

The researchers say their study demonstrates the intimate relationship between climate change, human survival and migrations.

Ends

Notes to Editors

1. The institutions partnering on this research project are Shantou University (China), University of Southampton (UK), Czech Academy of Sciences, Yarmouk University (Jordan), University of Jordan, Jiaying University (China), Griffith University (Australia), University of Queensland (Australia) and Smithsonian Institute (USA).
    
2. The paper ‘Human dispersals out of Africa via the Levant’ is due to be published in the journal Science Advances – DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi6838. More information, including a copy of the paper, can be found online at the Science Advances press package at https://www.eurekalert.org/press/vancepak/  
    
3. For interviews with Professor Paul Carling contact, Peter Franklin, Media Relations, University of Southampton. press@soton.ac.uk 07748 321087.
    
4. You can download images to accompany the embargoed press release and find captions and credits (in the jpg names) here: https://safesend.soton.ac.uk/pickup?claimID=bfGfUF8TfDZgHDgw&claimPasscode=F7YzqvjMJ8oNNntK&emailAddr=141258
    
5. The University of Southampton drives original thinking, turns knowledge into action and impact, and creates solutions to the world’s challenges. We are among the top 100 institutions globally (QS World University Rankings 2023). Our academics are leaders in their fields, forging links with high-profile international businesses and organisations, and inspiring a 22,000-strong community of exceptional students, from over 135 countries worldwide. Through our high-quality education, the University helps students on a journey of discovery to realise their potential and join our global network of over 200,000 alumni. www.southampton.ac.uk
    
6. For more about the School of Geography and Environmental Science at the University of Southampton visit: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/about/faculties-schools-departments/school-of-geography-and-environmental-science

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A second flake, or hand tool, seen from three different angles, discovered in the Jordan Rift Valley. The flakes helped scientists date human migration.

Dr Mahmoud Abass (Shantou University) on left, Professor Paul Carling (University of Southampton) in centre and Dr John Jansen (Czech Academy of Sciences) on right, in the field in Jordan Rift Valley.

CREDIT

University of Southampton

General view of Wadi Gharandal riverine wetland along the Jordan Rift Valley.

Sampling for luminescence dating from Wadi Hasa area.

CREDIT

Dr Mohammed Alqudah/Yarmouk University

JOURNAL

Science Advances

DOI

10.1126/sciadv.adi6838 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Observational study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Human dispersals out of Africa via the Levant

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

4-Oct-2023

 

Study investigates Australian climate interventions including solar geoengineering, introductions of adapted corals to the Great Barrier Reef and cloud forest conservation, identifying both synergies and trade-offs

Peer-Reviewed Publication

PLOS

Study investigates Australian climate interventions including solar geoengineering, introductions of adapted corals to the Great Barrier Reef and cloud forest conservation, identifying both synergies and trade-offs.

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Article URL: https://journals.plos.org/climate/article?id=10.1371/journal.pclm.0000221

Article Title: Coral reefs, cloud forests and radical climate interventions in Australia’s Wet Tropics and Great Barrier Reef

Author Countries: Denmark, UK, USA

Funding: The authors received no specific funding for this work.

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DOI

10.1371/journal.pclm.0000221 

ARTICLE TITLE

Coral reefs, cloud forests and radical climate interventions in Australia’s Wet Tropics and Great Barrier Reef

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

4-Oct-2023