Resiliencia de octocorales y adaptaciones como respuesta a cambios ambientales emergentes

Resilience is defined within an ecological context in terms of the time a system can take to return to a pre-disturbance state. Currently, coral resilience has been threatened by multiple factors derived from anthropogenic activities and climate change. The continuous accumulation of atmospheric carbon dioxide is associated with multiple disturbances which may be a challenge for global coral resilience. This is represented by: increases in sea surface temperatures (SST), changes in ocean chemistry, and rises in sea level. At present, there has been evidence of a tendency for octocorals (Octocorallia: Anthozoa) to dominate reefs under stress conditions, therefore this monograph consists of evaluating coral resilience and adaptations to environmental changes, primarily, of these animals. These adaptations can be derived from morphological characteristics, symbiotic relationships, and competitiveness. More specifically: the fan or feather arborescent morphology and the size of the polyp in relation to the density of symbionts; the resistance or susceptibility of zooxanthellae to environmental stress depending on the type of host; the health and stability of the holobiont; and the secretion of allelopathic compounds that affect both algae and nearby scleractinian corals. In conclusion, it can be said that coral resilience symbolizes one of the greatest hopes for the future of reefs, with symbiont switching in general and facultative cases being a more advantageous response to heat stress events. Likewise, it is necessary to continue with the study of the indicators of coral resilience in the country. However, the regulation of harmful activities and the integration of representative actors should not be neglected to ensure the preservation of reefs and ecosystem services.

• Autores: Herrera López, Mariana
• Tipo de recurso: Trabajo de grado de pregrado
• Fecha de publicación: 2020
• Institución: Universidad de los Andes
• Repositorio: Séneca: repositorio Uniandes
• Idioma: spa
• OAI Identifier: oai:repositorio.uniandes.edu.co:1992/51229
• Acceso en línea: http://hdl.handle.net/1992/51229
• Palabra clave: Resiliencia (Ecología); Corales; Octocorallia; Blanqueamiento de corales; Cambios climáticos; Biología
• Rights: openAccess
• License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/