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New interventions are needed to save coral reefs

Nature Ecology & Evolution volume 1, pages 1420–1422 (2017)Cite this article

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We anticipate that conventional management approaches will be insufficient to protect coral reefs, even if global warming is limited to 1.5 °C. Emerging technologies are needed to stem the decline of these natural assets.

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Fig. 1: An integrated approach to reef resilience.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB 3, Townsville, Queensland, 4810, Australia

    Ken Anthony, Line K. Bay, John Gunn, Andrew Heyward, David Mead, Madeleine J. H. van Oppen, Britta Schaffelke & Terry Walshe

  2. Australia National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 0200, Australia

    Robert Costanza

  3. Queensland University of Technology, Gardens Point, Brisbane, Queensland, 4000, Australia

    Jennifer Firn

  4. Marine Ecology Research Centre, IDEAS, Southern Cross University, Lismore, New South Wales, 2480, Australia

    Peter Harrison

  5. Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, University of Western Australia, 64 Fairway, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia

    Andrew Heyward

  6. Great Barrier Reef Foundation, 300 Ann Street, Brisbane, Queensland, 4000, Australia

    Petra Lundgren

  7. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA

    Tom Moore

  8. Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia

    Peter J. Mumby

  9. School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia

    Madeleine J. H. van Oppen

  10. Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Biosecurity Queensland, 41 George Street, Brisbane, Queensland, 4000, Australia

    John Robertson

  11. US Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD, 20708, USA

    Michael C. Runge

  12. University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, New South Wales, 2007, Australia

    David J. Suggett

  13. Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville, Queensland, 4810, Australia

    David Wachenfeld

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  1. Ken Anthony
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  10. Tom Moore
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  15. David J. Suggett
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  17. David Wachenfeld
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  18. Terry Walshe
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ken Anthony.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Anthony, K., Bay, L.K., Costanza, R. et al. New interventions are needed to save coral reefs. Nat Ecol Evol 1, 1420–1422 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-017-0313-5

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