1. Conservation Biology - A Coral Reef Example 1. General issues facing natural scientists wanting to make a contribution 2. A brief introduction to coral reefs and the threats they face 3. Natural science examples of questions needing answers a. simple questions b. hard questions 4. Some examples of applied natural science - World Bank Targeted Research

2. General Issues 1.Some challenges are fundamentally more about social sciences than natural sciences (5% science, 95% politics??) 2.But changes in objectives are posing new scientific questions, e.g. a. Single-species >>> Ecosystem-based management (EBM) b. Managing for resilience 3. This does not, however, mean that scientists should return to hiding in their ivory towers!!

3. Why Coral Reefs? 1. Highly diverse and economically important 2. Highly threatened 3. Good examples of poorly understood and sometimes complex science

4. DISCOVERY BAY, JAMAICA IN 1975

5. GONE

7. Anthropogenic Effects on Coral Reefs Physical Impacts on Corals Destructive fishing (cyanide, dynamite) Coral mining Storms ~ global warming Sedimentation ~ deforestation Bleaching ~ global warming Reduced calcification ~ higher CO2 >> acidity Biological Impacts on Corals Disease (corals, grazers) ~ global warming, water quality Overgrowth by algae (eutrophication, overfishing) Predator outbreaks ~ enhanced survival of larvae/juveniles/adults Reduced reproduction (Allee effects) Other Biological Impacts Overfishing (spawning aggregations, aquarium fish)

8. Riegl and Luke 1998

9. Hurricane Allen 1980

10. Sedimentation

11. Hoegh-Guldberg Bleaching group Coral Bleaching Trends

12. Effects of changing ocean chemistry Kleypas et al. 1999, Science

13. Sea urchin die-off 1982

14. Disease of Branching corals 1971 1988

15. Other Coral Diseases

16. Crown of thorns starfish - Acanthaster planci

17. R 2 = 0.88 A B

18. Lewis 2002

20. “Simple” Questions 1. Where/when does fish spawning occur? 2. How far do fish/coral larvae travel and where do they settle? 3. What causes predator populations to explode? 4. What pathogens are responsible for different diseases? 5. What are the temperature tolerances of corals and their symbionts? 6. What is the relationship between ocean acidity and calcification rates? Harder Questions 1. How do different stresses interact (negative synergies)? 2. What affects the dynamics of recovery/extinction (non-linearities, meta-population dynamics)?

21. 20 Million Dollar World Bank Project Working Groups Bleaching Disease Connectivity Remote Sensing Restoration Modelling Centers of Excellence Australia Philippines Mexico Zanzibar

22. Exercise for the Afternoon (imagine you are a senate aide) What Natural Science Knowledge is Needed for the Following Topics and How Would You Obtain It? 1)Climate Change and Arctic Ecosystems 2)Marine Invasive Species Risks on the US West Coast 3)Wetlands Restoration 4)Deep Sea Dumping 5)Offshore Drilling in Florida 6)Otter Restoration for Southern California