Weeding in the coral garden - towards an increased understanding of detrimental algal blooms on coral reefs

Stressors on coral reefs are intensifying due to increased anthropogenic disturbances. Climate change favors macroalgae over corals, leading to the overtaking of ecologically important reefs by algae.

To mitigate algal blooms and be able to design proper management actions in the favor of corals, we need to increase knowledge of these organisms.

The aim of the proposed project is to determine mechanisms that operate behind algal-coral shifts and identify biological traits that can predict negative effects on reefs.

Three species of bloom-forming macroalgae will be studied using the following approaches; i) investigations of algal impacts upon reef corals, ii) identification of factors that affect algal distribution and iii) examination of dispersal patterns of algae.

The majority of the project will be conducted in Hawaii (USA), which is an ideal study location because of the high numbers of invasive algal species on the islands and high-quality research infrastructure.

The project will consist of a combination of in situ surveys, aquarium experiments and molecular analyses (gene expression analyses).

Field sampling and aquarium experiments will be conducted at the University of Hawaii (UH), and laboratory work at UH and Gothenburg University (GU), primarily during the first two years of the project.

The results will increase our understanding on why and how certain alga can constitute a threat to coral reefs, and thus how we can mitigate detrimental algal blooms.