Sixteenth International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability

Abstract

Coral reefs are among the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world offering a range of ecosystem services that are important for human well-being. However, they are declining at an alarming rate with climate change being the most recognised threat globally. Increased sea-surface temperatures have killed many reef-building corals that form the framework of a coral reef. The persistence of coral reefs heavily relies on their ability to maintain reef-building coral-dominated states. There is increasing attention towards the ‘functional approach’ in biodiversity studies in the wake of climate change. Functional diversity ensures that the functioning of natural ecosystems is safeguarded, entailing the resilience of ecosystems from disturbances. Previous studies in coral reefs have attempted to classify coral communities into functional groups based on their response to climate change. While this is a great step towards identifying the response of coral communities to climate change-induced mortality, it is important to further recognise the relationship of these functional groups with the habitat and environmental conditions supporting them. In this study, we try to identify habitat factors and environmental conditions that underpin different coral functional groups. We ask the question as to whether different coral functional groups are related to specific habitat factors and environmental conditions. Understanding the spatio-temporal relationship between coral functional groups and habitat/environmental factors is important in directing efforts on marine spatial planning such as: potential areas for protection, zonation in protected areas, and guiding coral restoration efforts.