Move, adapt or die. Those are the options marine plants and animals have in the face of climate change, said Stanford biologist Steve Palumbi, who has been exploring how to help them go with the first two options, rather than the third. He's come up with some surprising answers.
Palumbi will be discussing the results of his research in two talks at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in San Diego.
How to design marine protected areas to best benefit a wide variety of plant and animal species is the focus of a talk he'll give on Saturday, Feb. 20. The most practical kind of natural reserve is one that benefits species and local human populations, but Palumbi said striking that balance isn't always easy. Many people have argued that bigger is better when it comes to marine reserves, but Palumbi has data suggesting that is not always the case.
In a separate Topical Lecture he'll give on Sunday, Feb. 21, Palumbi will present his findings on how marine species are reacting to climate change, including new work on coral species in the Pacific that have poor powers of dispersal but a surprising ability to cope with higher temperatures.
Palumbi is director of Stanford's Hopkins Marine Station and a senior fellow at the university's Woods Institute for the Environment.
If you can't move, then you'd better adjust
Many species, such as those along the west coast of California, can simply migrate north to colder waters. But other animals, such as the coral that Palumbi's team has studied in Fiji and American Samoa, won't be moving anytime soon.
"Each coral population is trapped on its own island, and as global climate changes around them, the populations are essentially stuck where they are. They have to go to the second stage, which is to adapt," Palumbi said.
Marine scientists have predicted that coral reefs will be at risk of extinction due to high oc
'/>"/>
| Contact: Louis Bergeron louisb3@stanford.edu 650-725-1944 Stanford University Source:Eurekalert |
Related biology news :
1. Giant panda genome reveals new insights into the bears bamboo diet
2. Catching calcium waves could provide Alzheimers insights
3. Bacteria provide new insights into human decision making
4. New research provides insights into potential ecological costs and cobenefits of REDD
5. Synthetic cells shed biological insights while delivering battery power
6. Joint US-Norwegian study provides new insights into marine ecosystems and fisheries production
7. Comprehensive understanding of bacteria could lead to new insights into many organisms
8. Beta-blockers and stroke -- new insights into their use for older people
9. New insights into limb formation
10. New insights into health and environmental effects of carbon nanoparticles
11. UC San Diego engineer provides insights to decades-old DNA squabble
| Copyright © 2003-2012 Bio-Medicine. All rights reserved. ABOUT | CONTACT US | DISCLAIMER | PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS AND CONDITIONS |  |