Reefs Benefit From Reduced Land–Sea Impacts Under Warming

A study combining reef change surveys and a 20-year land-sea impact record, including a major marine heatwave in Hawai‘i, shows that reefs with increased herbivorous fish and reduced land-based impacts had positive coral cover trajectories before the heatwave.

These reefs suffered less coral mortality from heat stress compared to reefs with fewer fish and greater land-based impacts.

Scenario modeling suggests that concurrently decreasing land-sea human impacts drastically raises the chance of high reef-builder cover four years after disturbances.

Amidst ongoing efforts to conserve 30% of Earth's land and oceans by 2030, integrated land-sea management could be vital for coastal ocean conservation and the persistence of coral reefs in a changing climate.