AnasAnaastata Reef Systems Academic Unit, Puerto Morelos Marine Sciences and Limnology Institute National Autonomous University of Mexico

UASA Unidad Académica de Sistemas Arrecifales ICML

Anastazia Teresa Banaszak banaszak@cmarl.unam.mx

15 faculty 6 postdocs 10 technicians 60 grad students

Time µs 1000s years

Spac

e

Å2

km2

Molecules: (photosynthesis, toxins, DNA damage, stress)

fs

Reefs (formation and ersoion, sea level change)

Ecosystems (biodiversity, degradation)

Cells (physiology, biochemistry, symbiosis)

Organisms (responses to thermal stress, acidification bleaching, natural products, behaviour)

Populations (biology, genetics)

UASA

Primary Calcification(Corals)

Erosion (Biological, physical and chemical)

Secondary Calcification (Coraline algae and Mollusks)

1

5

10

-1

-5

-10

Coastal zone protection Sea level change Reef degradation

Phase shifts Habitat destruction Loss in biodiversity

Changes in landscapes

A

B

C

Hoegh-Guldberg et al 2007

Perry et al 2008

Impacts of global change on coral reefs

Blanchon et al 2010

Coral bleaching Susceptibilities to stressors Coral diseases Loss in coral cover Changes in fish species Eutrophication

Pastos marinos UNAM

Proc

eses

s Pa

ram

eter

s Co

mm

unity

ch

ange

s

www.gefcoral.org

Coral Reef Targested Research and Capacity Building for Management (GEF-World Bank)

• UASA was named as one of the four centres of excellence • Impacts of global climate change on coral reefs and

management practices. • Most of the academic staff participated in this project.

Garbage dumps No sewage treatment Golf courses Hotel developments

Injection wells Injection wells

Coral reef

Sea grasses

UASA

1971

2010

PUERTO MORELOS NATIONAL REEF PARK

Acropora palmata: Elkhorn coral Species with special protection (NOM-059)

Critically endangered (IUCN red list)

Coastal protection

Reef

Biodiversity

Rodríguez-Martínez et al. 2014 Plos One

138 sites along Mesoamerican Reef System • A. palmata cover is almost

zero • Northern populations have

higher coverage • Despite managment efforts

there is no significant recovery

• Conservtiion and restoration efforts are critical

Status of Acropora palmata populations in the Western Caribbean

132 A palmata patches (different sizes and shapes).

Banaszak y Alvarez-Filip 2015

• Limones is the reef with the

highest density of A pal.

• Population genetic data indicate that this site is critical for the conservation and protection of A pal.

• This reef has been closed to fishing and tourism by the National Parks Comission

• Basic reserach on A pal reproduction has led to restoration using sexual recruits in the Mexican Caribbean.

• Seed bank of germ cell lines from different areas to select restistant cell lines.

Polar plots (θ, m) 5, 10 and 15 m diameter 8 samples per circle, total = 24

Population genetics

One population along the Mexican Caribbean

Survival in marine nurseries • 2 sites (Puerto Morelos and Punta Venado) • Average 5% (1 year), 100% (2 and 3 years)

Data: Santiago Zúñiga Cervera (PM)

Ana Laura Aguilar Morales (PV)

But this is not cost effective … Nor is clonal propagation because it involves many hours. Cost estimates: 400 years to restore 1 hectare using fragments (4 people full time)

Research into mass restoration techniques to seed large areas (hectares)

2000 substrates in Puerto Morelos, Punta Herrero and Xcalak in collaboration with Xcaret Ecopark and the SECORE Foundation (Funding: WWF- Carlos Slim Foundation