Geology topics

Carly D. Kenkel

Publications and source records attributed to Carly D. Kenkel.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2025

Heat-driven functional extinction of Caribbean Acropora corals from Florida's Coral Reef

In 2023, a record-setting marine heat wave triggered the ninth mass coral bleaching event on Florida’s Coral Reef (FCR). We examined spatial patterns of heat exposure along the ~560-kilometer length of FCR and the mortality of two ecologically important, critically endangered reef-building corals. Sea surface temperatures were ≥31°C for an average of 40.7 days, leading to heat exposures 2.2- to fourfold higher than all prior years on record. In the Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas, 97.8 to 100% of the Acropora palmata and Acropora cervicornis colonies died. Mortality was lower offshore southeast Florida (37.9%), reflecting cooler temperatures in this region. Since the late 1970s, multiple stressors had already reduced the ecological relevance of Acropora in Florida, but the 2023 heat wave marks their functional extinction from FCR.

Florida↗

USGS2025

Proactive assisted gene flow for Caribbean corals in an era of rapid coral reef decline

Coral reefs are one of the most well-documented marine ecosystems under increasing threat from climate change. Catastrophic episodes of coral bleaching and subsequent mortality caused by prolonged heat stress ( 1 ) highlight the need to test and implement new approaches to prevent species loss and retain ecosystem function ( 2 ). One of these approaches is assisted gene flow (AGF)—the managed movement of individuals or gametes between populations within species ranges to mitigate local maladaptation ( 3 ). AGF has recently been approved to help save elkhorn corals in Florida from local extirpation but faces challenges for its broader application owing to static regulatory frameworks whose precautionary nature does not readily account for the high cost of inaction in response to the dynamic ecological realities of climate change ( 4 , 5 ). Here, we highlight how regulatory action could help safely facilitate coral AGF across international boundaries, at least in the tropical western Atlantic (Caribbean).

Science↗

USGS2025

Future of coral bleaching research

Coral bleaching is the largest global threat to coral reef ecosystem persistence this century. Advancing our understanding of coral bleaching and developing solutions to protect corals and the reefs they support are critical. In the present article, we, the US National Science Foundation–funded Coral Bleaching Research Coordination Network, outline future directions for coral bleaching research. Specifically, we address the need for embedded inclusiveness, codevelopment, and capacity building as a foundation for excellence in coral bleaching research and the critical role of coral-bleaching science in shaping policy. We outline a path for research innovation and technology and propose the formation of an international coral bleaching consortium that, in coordination with existing multinational organizations, could be a hub for planning, coordinating, and integrating global-scale coral bleaching research, innovation, and mitigation strategies. This proposed strategy for future coral bleaching research could facilitate a step-function change in how we address the coral bleaching crisis.

BioScience↗