Rapid onsets of warming events trigger mass mortality of coral reef fish

Amatzia Genin; Liraz Levy; Galit Sharon; Dionysios E. Raitsos; Arik Diamant

doi:10.1073/pnas.2009748117

Rapid onsets of warming events trigger mass mortality of coral reef fish

Amatzia Genin, Liraz Levy, Galit Sharon, Dionysios E. Raitsos, Arik Diamant

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Our study reveals a hitherto overlooked ecological threat of climate change. Studies of warming events in the ocean have typically focused on the events' maximum temperature and duration as the cause of devastating disturbances in coral reefs, kelp forests, and rocky shores. In this study, however, we found that the rate of onset (R_onset), rather than the peak, was the likely trigger of mass mortality of coral reef fishes in the Red Sea. Following a steep rise in water temperature (4.2 °C in 2.5 d), thermally stressed fish belonging to dozens of species became fatally infected by Streptococcus iniae. Piscivores and benthivores were disproportionately impacted whereas zooplanktivores were spared. Mortality rates peaked 2 wk later, coinciding with a second warming event with extreme R_onset. The epizootic lasted ~2 mo, extending beyond the warming events through the consumption of pathogen-laden carcasses by uninfected fish. The warming was widespread, with an evident decline in wind speed, barometric pressure, and latent heat flux. A reassessment of past reports suggests that steep R_onsetwas also the probable trigger of mass mortalities of wild fish elsewhere. If the ongoing increase in the frequency and intensity of marine heat waves is associated with a corresponding increase in the frequency of extreme R_onset, calamities inflicted on coral reefs by the warming oceans may extend far beyond coral bleaching.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	25378-25385
Number of pages	8
Journal	Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume	117
Issue number	41
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2009748117
State	Published - 13 Oct 2020

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. We thank the Israel NMP in the Gulf of Eilat for providing the invaluable environmental data. We thank members of the NMP, IUI, and Nature and Park Authority in Eilat; and Orie Legum and the many divers, snorkelers, and residents of Eilat for their contribution to the campaign of recording and collecting carcasses. We thank local dive centers, editors of local and national newspapers, and social media administrators for their contribution to the call for this citizen-science campaign. We thank Roberto Ehrlich for his help with the necropsy and its analysis. We thank the Israel Meteorological Service for wind data from their station “Elat” and the GHRSST from the NASA EOSDIS PO.DAAC at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Pasadena, CA) for the satellite-derived SST products. Parts of the study were supported by grants from the Israel Science Foundation (1211/14) and Israel Ministry of Science and Technology (3-16729) (to A.G.). The NMP is funded by the Israel Ministry of Environmental Protection. We thank Sophie Dove, Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Margarita Zarubin, and Daniela Genin for insightful discussions on the ecology of the warming event, and L. G. C. Genevier and G. Krokos for helping with the analysis of remote sensing and atmospheric circulation. We thank Prof. Steve Brenner (Bar Ilan University) for the calculations and interpretation of the heat flux dynamics. Comments and suggestions made by two anonymous reviewers greatly improved the manuscript.

Funding Information:
We thank the Israel NMP in the Gulf of Eilat for providing the invaluable environmental data. We thank members of the NMP, IUI, and Nature and Park Authority in Eilat; and Orie Legum and the many divers, snorkelers, and residents of Eilat for their contribution to the campaign of recording and collecting carcasses. We thank local dive centers, editors of local and national newspapers, and social media administrators for their contribution to the call for this citizen-science campaign. We thank Roberto Ehrlich for his help with the necropsy and its analysis. We thank the Israel Meteorological Service for wind data from their station "Elat" and the GHRSST from the NASA EOSDIS PO.DAAC at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Pasadena, CA) for the satellite-derived SST products. Parts of the study were supported by grants from the Israel Science Foundation (1211/14) and Israel Ministry of Science and Technology (3-16729) (to A.G.). The NMP is funded by the Israel Ministry of Environmental Protection. We thank Sophie Dove, Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Margarita Zarubin, and Daniela Genin for insightful discussions on the ecology of the warming event, and L. G. C. Genevier and G. Krokos for helping with the analysis of remote sensing and atmospheric circulation. We thank Prof. Steve Brenner (Bar Ilan University) for the calculations and interpretation of the heat flux dynamics. Comments and suggestions made by two anonymous reviewers greatly improved the manuscript.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Keywords

Epizootic
Heat flux
Red Sea
Streptococcus
Warming rate

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1073/pnas.2009748117

Cite this

@article{e3ef9024f42c4389a4b8f61e1cbe27f2,

title = "Rapid onsets of warming events trigger mass mortality of coral reef fish",

abstract = "Our study reveals a hitherto overlooked ecological threat of climate change. Studies of warming events in the ocean have typically focused on the events' maximum temperature and duration as the cause of devastating disturbances in coral reefs, kelp forests, and rocky shores. In this study, however, we found that the rate of onset (Ronset), rather than the peak, was the likely trigger of mass mortality of coral reef fishes in the Red Sea. Following a steep rise in water temperature (4.2 °C in 2.5 d), thermally stressed fish belonging to dozens of species became fatally infected by Streptococcus iniae. Piscivores and benthivores were disproportionately impacted whereas zooplanktivores were spared. Mortality rates peaked 2 wk later, coinciding with a second warming event with extreme Ronset. The epizootic lasted ~2 mo, extending beyond the warming events through the consumption of pathogen-laden carcasses by uninfected fish. The warming was widespread, with an evident decline in wind speed, barometric pressure, and latent heat flux. A reassessment of past reports suggests that steep Ronsetwas also the probable trigger of mass mortalities of wild fish elsewhere. If the ongoing increase in the frequency and intensity of marine heat waves is associated with a corresponding increase in the frequency of extreme Ronset, calamities inflicted on coral reefs by the warming oceans may extend far beyond coral bleaching.",

keywords = "Epizootic, Heat flux, Red Sea, Streptococcus, Warming rate",

author = "Amatzia Genin and Liraz Levy and Galit Sharon and Raitsos, {Dionysios E.} and Arik Diamant",

note = "Funding Information: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. We thank the Israel NMP in the Gulf of Eilat for providing the invaluable environmental data. We thank members of the NMP, IUI, and Nature and Park Authority in Eilat; and Orie Legum and the many divers, snorkelers, and residents of Eilat for their contribution to the campaign of recording and collecting carcasses. We thank local dive centers, editors of local and national newspapers, and social media administrators for their contribution to the call for this citizen-science campaign. We thank Roberto Ehrlich for his help with the necropsy and its analysis. We thank the Israel Meteorological Service for wind data from their station “Elat” and the GHRSST from the NASA EOSDIS PO.DAAC at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Pasadena, CA) for the satellite-derived SST products. Parts of the study were supported by grants from the Israel Science Foundation (1211/14) and Israel Ministry of Science and Technology (3-16729) (to A.G.). The NMP is funded by the Israel Ministry of Environmental Protection. We thank Sophie Dove, Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Margarita Zarubin, and Daniela Genin for insightful discussions on the ecology of the warming event, and L. G. C. Genevier and G. Krokos for helping with the analysis of remote sensing and atmospheric circulation. We thank Prof. Steve Brenner (Bar Ilan University) for the calculations and interpretation of the heat flux dynamics. Comments and suggestions made by two anonymous reviewers greatly improved the manuscript. Funding Information: We thank the Israel NMP in the Gulf of Eilat for providing the invaluable environmental data. We thank members of the NMP, IUI, and Nature and Park Authority in Eilat; and Orie Legum and the many divers, snorkelers, and residents of Eilat for their contribution to the campaign of recording and collecting carcasses. We thank local dive centers, editors of local and national newspapers, and social media administrators for their contribution to the call for this citizen-science campaign. We thank Roberto Ehrlich for his help with the necropsy and its analysis. We thank the Israel Meteorological Service for wind data from their station {"}Elat{"} and the GHRSST from the NASA EOSDIS PO.DAAC at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Pasadena, CA) for the satellite-derived SST products. Parts of the study were supported by grants from the Israel Science Foundation (1211/14) and Israel Ministry of Science and Technology (3-16729) (to A.G.). The NMP is funded by the Israel Ministry of Environmental Protection. We thank Sophie Dove, Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Margarita Zarubin, and Daniela Genin for insightful discussions on the ecology of the warming event, and L. G. C. Genevier and G. Krokos for helping with the analysis of remote sensing and atmospheric circulation. We thank Prof. Steve Brenner (Bar Ilan University) for the calculations and interpretation of the heat flux dynamics. Comments and suggestions made by two anonymous reviewers greatly improved the manuscript. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.",

year = "2020",

month = oct,

day = "13",

doi = "10.1073/pnas.2009748117",

language = "English",

volume = "117",

pages = "25378--25385",

journal = "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America",

issn = "0027-8424",

publisher = "National Academy of Sciences",

number = "41",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Rapid onsets of warming events trigger mass mortality of coral reef fish

AU - Genin, Amatzia

AU - Levy, Liraz

AU - Sharon, Galit

AU - Raitsos, Dionysios E.

AU - Diamant, Arik

N1 - Funding Information: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. We thank the Israel NMP in the Gulf of Eilat for providing the invaluable environmental data. We thank members of the NMP, IUI, and Nature and Park Authority in Eilat; and Orie Legum and the many divers, snorkelers, and residents of Eilat for their contribution to the campaign of recording and collecting carcasses. We thank local dive centers, editors of local and national newspapers, and social media administrators for their contribution to the call for this citizen-science campaign. We thank Roberto Ehrlich for his help with the necropsy and its analysis. We thank the Israel Meteorological Service for wind data from their station “Elat” and the GHRSST from the NASA EOSDIS PO.DAAC at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Pasadena, CA) for the satellite-derived SST products. Parts of the study were supported by grants from the Israel Science Foundation (1211/14) and Israel Ministry of Science and Technology (3-16729) (to A.G.). The NMP is funded by the Israel Ministry of Environmental Protection. We thank Sophie Dove, Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Margarita Zarubin, and Daniela Genin for insightful discussions on the ecology of the warming event, and L. G. C. Genevier and G. Krokos for helping with the analysis of remote sensing and atmospheric circulation. We thank Prof. Steve Brenner (Bar Ilan University) for the calculations and interpretation of the heat flux dynamics. Comments and suggestions made by two anonymous reviewers greatly improved the manuscript. Funding Information: We thank the Israel NMP in the Gulf of Eilat for providing the invaluable environmental data. We thank members of the NMP, IUI, and Nature and Park Authority in Eilat; and Orie Legum and the many divers, snorkelers, and residents of Eilat for their contribution to the campaign of recording and collecting carcasses. We thank local dive centers, editors of local and national newspapers, and social media administrators for their contribution to the call for this citizen-science campaign. We thank Roberto Ehrlich for his help with the necropsy and its analysis. We thank the Israel Meteorological Service for wind data from their station "Elat" and the GHRSST from the NASA EOSDIS PO.DAAC at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Pasadena, CA) for the satellite-derived SST products. Parts of the study were supported by grants from the Israel Science Foundation (1211/14) and Israel Ministry of Science and Technology (3-16729) (to A.G.). The NMP is funded by the Israel Ministry of Environmental Protection. We thank Sophie Dove, Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Margarita Zarubin, and Daniela Genin for insightful discussions on the ecology of the warming event, and L. G. C. Genevier and G. Krokos for helping with the analysis of remote sensing and atmospheric circulation. We thank Prof. Steve Brenner (Bar Ilan University) for the calculations and interpretation of the heat flux dynamics. Comments and suggestions made by two anonymous reviewers greatly improved the manuscript. Publisher Copyright: © 2020 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

PY - 2020/10/13

Y1 - 2020/10/13

N2 - Our study reveals a hitherto overlooked ecological threat of climate change. Studies of warming events in the ocean have typically focused on the events' maximum temperature and duration as the cause of devastating disturbances in coral reefs, kelp forests, and rocky shores. In this study, however, we found that the rate of onset (Ronset), rather than the peak, was the likely trigger of mass mortality of coral reef fishes in the Red Sea. Following a steep rise in water temperature (4.2 °C in 2.5 d), thermally stressed fish belonging to dozens of species became fatally infected by Streptococcus iniae. Piscivores and benthivores were disproportionately impacted whereas zooplanktivores were spared. Mortality rates peaked 2 wk later, coinciding with a second warming event with extreme Ronset. The epizootic lasted ~2 mo, extending beyond the warming events through the consumption of pathogen-laden carcasses by uninfected fish. The warming was widespread, with an evident decline in wind speed, barometric pressure, and latent heat flux. A reassessment of past reports suggests that steep Ronsetwas also the probable trigger of mass mortalities of wild fish elsewhere. If the ongoing increase in the frequency and intensity of marine heat waves is associated with a corresponding increase in the frequency of extreme Ronset, calamities inflicted on coral reefs by the warming oceans may extend far beyond coral bleaching.

AB - Our study reveals a hitherto overlooked ecological threat of climate change. Studies of warming events in the ocean have typically focused on the events' maximum temperature and duration as the cause of devastating disturbances in coral reefs, kelp forests, and rocky shores. In this study, however, we found that the rate of onset (Ronset), rather than the peak, was the likely trigger of mass mortality of coral reef fishes in the Red Sea. Following a steep rise in water temperature (4.2 °C in 2.5 d), thermally stressed fish belonging to dozens of species became fatally infected by Streptococcus iniae. Piscivores and benthivores were disproportionately impacted whereas zooplanktivores were spared. Mortality rates peaked 2 wk later, coinciding with a second warming event with extreme Ronset. The epizootic lasted ~2 mo, extending beyond the warming events through the consumption of pathogen-laden carcasses by uninfected fish. The warming was widespread, with an evident decline in wind speed, barometric pressure, and latent heat flux. A reassessment of past reports suggests that steep Ronsetwas also the probable trigger of mass mortalities of wild fish elsewhere. If the ongoing increase in the frequency and intensity of marine heat waves is associated with a corresponding increase in the frequency of extreme Ronset, calamities inflicted on coral reefs by the warming oceans may extend far beyond coral bleaching.

KW - Epizootic

KW - Heat flux

KW - Red Sea

KW - Streptococcus

KW - Warming rate

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85092894150&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1073/pnas.2009748117

DO - 10.1073/pnas.2009748117

M3 - Article

C2 - 32958634

AN - SCOPUS:85092894150

SN - 0027-8424

VL - 117

SP - 25378

EP - 25385

JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

IS - 41

ER -

Rapid onsets of warming events trigger mass mortality of coral reef fish

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this