ACCRETE

Climate change and ocean acidification are both a result of increasing anthropogenic CO2 in the Earth’s atmosphere.  These two global-scale stressors will impact coral reefs in differing ways, but the interaction of the two over the 21st century are expected to threaten the persistence of coral reef ecosystems.  ACCRETE (Acidification, Climate, and Coral Reef Ecosystems TEam) researchers are actively researching how climate change and ocean acidification will, and, already are, affecting the construction (coral growth, calcification) and breakdown (bioerosion, dissolution) of coral reef ecosystems, as well as the associated ramifications this has for ecosystem function (e.g., biodiversity).  To this end, ACCRETE scientists utilize a unique interdisciplinary approach that incorporates aspects of biology, chemistry, and geology within an ecological framework.  Through field, laboratory, and modeling studies, this laboratory is improving our understanding of the rate and magnitude of climate change and acidification on coral reefs, as well as the ecological impacts of these changes.

ACCRETE is a subunit of the Coral Health and Monitoring Program (CHAMP) and is located within the Ocean Chemistry and Ecosystems Division (OCED) at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) in Miami, FL.  Please visit our ACCRETE People page for details about our team membership.

National Coral Reef Monitoring ProgramThe National Coral Reef Monitoring Program gauges the status and trends of coral reef health through long-term measurement of key variables.

Ocean Acidification Product SuiteA high resolution monitoring product has been developed that maps current ocean acidification in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.

Altantic Ocean Acidification Test-bedThe Atlantic Ocean Acidification Test-bed assesses through monitoring and research the impacts of ocean acidification on Atlantic coral reef ecosystems.

Reef Framework ResearchClimate change has both thermal (warming) and chemical (ocean acidification, OA) ramifications for coral reef ecosystems.