Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems in the West Pacific: threatened ecosystems or hope for the reefs?
Project/Area Number |
20K06210
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Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
Section | 一般 |
Review Section |
Basic Section 40030:Aquatic bioproduction science-related
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Research Institution | University of the Ryukyus |
Principal Investigator |
フレデリック シニゲル 琉球大学, 熱帯生物圏研究センター, ポスドク研究員 (10625940)
|
Project Period (FY) |
2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
|
Project Status |
Granted (Fiscal Year 2022)
|
Budget Amount *help |
¥4,290,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥990,000)
Fiscal Year 2022: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000)
Fiscal Year 2021: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000)
Fiscal Year 2020: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000)
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Keywords | mesophotic / coral / Biodiversity / coral communities |
Outline of Research at the Start |
Coral reefs are threatened by ocean warming. In consequences of the global warming, shallow corals have expanded their distribution range poleward. In the recent years, coral reefs below 30 m depth (called mesophotic coral ecosystems or MCEs), have been suggested to act as refuge for shallow corals. However, MCEs are also host unique communities. This project will compare MCEs communities at different latitudes (i.e. with different temperature regimes), in order to estimate the potential of deep corals to shift their distribution range or to resist to higher temperatures in a warming ocean.
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Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
This year following issues with international collaborators (health issues and fieldwork constraints), the focus for fieldwork has been shifted domestically towards deeper areas of the reef. However, recruit data at shallow and mesophotic depths and DNA information on corals from shallow to deep could still be obtained through the international collaboration of this project. As planned in the initial proposal, the results of this project have been presented at the INTECOL2022 in Geneva, Switzerland, the Japan Coral Reef Conference in Ishigaki, Japan, and at the Gordon conference on Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems in Los Angeles, USA. In terms of publications, two papers (in Scientific Reports and Marine Pollution Bulletin) reporting on some results of this project have been published.
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Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
3: Progress in research has been slightly delayed.
Reason
Due to organizational constraints, the final workshop planned with Indonesian colleagues could not be conducted in 2022 and will be conducted in 2023. The difficulties regarding fieldwork abroad also delayed the acquisition of the final data of this project.
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Strategy for Future Research Activity |
In 2023, the final data will be obtained and analysed. Next year (2023), the main objective will be to conduct a final workshop in Indonesia in the second semester of 2023 to summarize the results obtained so far and coordinate future work together. A publication is expected on the coral biodiversity deeper parts of the reefs as well as on thermal thresholds of mesophotic corals.
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Report
(3 results)
Research Products
(11 results)