Researchers identify coral reef "bright spots" where marine life thrives

An international team of researchers has identified 15 "bright spots" around the world where coral reefs are healthier than expected and marine life is thriving.

In a study published on Wednesday in journal Nature, the team of 39 researchers from 34 universities and conservation groups has also discovered 35 "dark spots" where reefs with fish stocks are in worse shape than expected.

With more than 6,000 reef surveys in 46 countries, it is one of the largest global studies of its kind.

"This approach is an effective way to extract the signal from the noise in global data on reef status," said co-author Larry Crowder, a professor of biology at Stanford University. "The emergent patterns show us explicitly what allows some reefs to perform exceptionally well and others to perform poorly. Knowing this can help us steer reefs to their most resilient state."

About the bright spots, lead author Josh Cinner from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University in Queensland, Australia, explained that "given the widespread depletion of coral reef fisheries globally, we were really excited to find these bright spots that were faring much better than we anticipated."

"These 'bright spots' are reefs with more fish than expected based on their exposure to pressures like human population, poverty, and unfavorable environmental conditions," Cinner was quoted as saying by a news release from Stanford, where three researchers affiliated with its Center for Ocean Solutions took part in the study.

The study aims to figure out why some reefs were much healthier and whether there are lessons to be learned about how to avoid the degradation often associated with overfishing.

The researchers identified several characteristics that improved the state of coral reef ecosystems. "Many bright spots had strong local involvement in how the reefs were managed, local ownership rights, and traditional management practices," said co-author Christina Hicks, an affiliated researcher at the Center for Ocean Solutions currently at England's Lancaster University.

Bright spots were typically found in the Pacific Ocean in places like the Solomon Islands, parts of Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Kiribati. Dark spots were more globally distributed and found in every major ocean basin.

The authors say the bright spots offer hope and some solutions that can be applied across the world's coral reefs. "Specifically, investments that foster local involvement and provide people with ownership rights can allow people to develop creative solutions that help defy expectations of reef fisheries depletion," Cinner said. "Conversely, dark spots may highlight development or management pathways to avoid." Endit