Data from: Coral reef degradation is not correlated with local human population density

The global decline of reef-building corals is understood to be due to a combination of local and global stressors. However, many reef scientists assume that local factors predominate and that isolated reefs, far from human activities, are generally healthier and more resilient. Here we show that coral reef degradation is not correlated with human population density. This suggests that local factors such as fishing and pollution are having minimal effects or that their impacts are masked by global drivers such as ocean warming. Our results also suggest that the effects of local and global stressors are antagonistic, rather than synergistic as widely assumed. These findings indicate that local management alone cannot restore coral populations or increase the resilience of reefs to large-scale impacts. They also highlight the truly global reach of anthropogenic warming and the immediate need for drastic and sustained cuts in carbon emissions.

学界普遍认为，造礁珊瑚（reef-building corals）的全球衰退是本地与全球压力因子共同作用的结果。然而，多数珊瑚礁研究者假定本地因子占据主导地位，且远离人类活动的偏远珊瑚礁通常更为健康、恢复力也更强。本研究表明，珊瑚礁退化与人类人口密度并无关联。这提示，捕捞与污染等本地因子的影响甚微，或是其影响被海洋变暖（ocean warming）等全球驱动因子所掩盖。本研究结果还显示，本地与全球压力因子的作用呈拮抗关系，而非学界广泛假设的协同关系。上述发现表明，仅依靠本地管理无法恢复珊瑚种群，也无法提升珊瑚礁应对大规模扰动的抗逆能力。这些结果同时凸显了人为变暖（anthropogenic warming）真正的全球影响范围，也指出亟需大幅且持续地削减碳排放。