REEFS FOR THE FUTURE

The overall theme for the 11th International Coral Reef Symposium is Reefs for the Future. Just as contemporary reefs have been shaped by variations in reef-building capacity, conditions of today's reefs will influence the fate and health of tomorrow's reefs. Darwin (1842) wrote, "for we can understand the gradation [on coral reefs], only as a prolonged struggle against unfavourable conditions." (Darwin, C. (1842) The structure and distribution of Coral Reefs (page 82), pp 239) In this quote, Darwin was referring to processes structuring reef zonation, yet he described many processes as being either "unfavorable" or "favorable" to reef growth and function. Indeed, in 2005 "unfavorable conditions" are often thought to be common on many reefs worldwide. Scientists and reef managers are increasingly working together to develop management approaches based on science.

The goals of this Symposium are:

• to provide a scientific basis for coral reef ecosystem management by articulating the state of the science with respect to current and emerging stressors;
• to improve the understanding of reef condition, function, and productivity; and
• to grow the field of coral reef ecosystem science and encourage multidisciplinary research by facilitating the exchange of ideas.

GEOLOGY	REMOTE SENSING	ECOLOGY
BIOLOGY	MANAGEMENT	BIODIVERSITY

11ICRS Scientific Program Committee
Rob van Woesik (Chair), Ph.D., Florida Institute of Technology, USA (Chair) "Email" <rvw barney fit fred edu>
Marlin Atkinson, Ph.D., University of Hawaii, USA "Email" <mja barney hawaii fred edu>
Andrew Baker, Ph.D., University of Miami, USA "Email" <abaker barney rsmas fred miami fred edu>
Julia Cole, Ph.D., University of Arizona, USA "Email" <jcole barney geo fred arizona fred edu>
Ruth Kelty, Ph.D., NOAA, USA "Email" <ruth fred kelty barney noaa fred gov>
Peter Mumby, Ph.D., University of Exeter, United Kingdom "Email" <P fred J fred Mumby barney exeter fred ac fred uk>
Philip Munday, Ph.D., James Cook University, Australia "Email" <Philip fred Munday barney jcu fred edu fred au>
Tomas Tomascik, Ph.D., Parks Canada, Canada "Email" <tomas.tomascik barney pc fred gc fred ca>

Mini-Symposia

1. Lessons from the past
2. Biotic response to ancient environmental change in Indo-Pacific coral reefs
3. Calcification and coral reefs - past and future
4. Coral reef organisms as recorders of local and global environmental change
5. Len Muscatine memorial mini-symposium on the functional biology of corals and coral symbiosis: Molecular biology, cell biology and physiology
6. Ecological and evolutionary genomics of coral reef organisms
7. Diseases on coral reefs
8. Coral microbial interactions
9. Chemical ecology on coral reefs
10. Ecological processes on today's reef ecosystems
11. From molecules to moonbeams: How is reproductive timing regulated in coral reef organisms?
12. Reef Resilience
13. Evolution and conservation of coral reef ecosystems
14. Reef connectivity
15. Hydrodynamics of coral reef systems
16. Ecosystem assessment of coral reefs - new technologies and approaches
17. Emerging techniques in Remote Sensing and Geospatial Analysis
18. Reef status and trends
19. Biogeochemical cycles in coral reef environments
20. Modeling concepts and processes on coral reefs
21. Social-ecological systems
22. Coral Reef Associated Fisheries
23. Reef management
24. Reef restoration
25. Climate change
26. Biodiversity and diversification of reef organisms

• Coral Reef Conservation Program Special Session - "Forum on the Future of NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program"
• Regional Workshop Special Session - "Regional Workshops on Scientific and Science Information Needs for Coral Reef "Management
• ITMEMS Special Session - "Developing Capacities of Coastal and Marine Managers"

Mini-Symposium 1: Lessons from the past
D. Hubbard, W. Ramirez (a); D. Hubbard, E.A. Shinn, W. Ramirez (b); D. Hubbard, L. Greer, C. Sherman (c), G. Stanley
"Email" <dennis fred hubbard barney oberlin fred edu>

	a)	What factors have led to the successes and failures of coral reef communities over the past 65 million years?
	b)	How have our models of Caribbean coral reef geology changed since 1977? A Tribute to Robert F. Dill
	c)	Is the past the key to the present and future? How can past patterns of coral reef change inform the discussion about recent reef decline?

Mini-Symposium 2: Biotic response to ancient environmental change in Indo-Pacific coral reefs
J. Pandolfi, K. Johnson, W. Renema, M. Wilson, K. Bromfield, L. McMonagle
"Email" <j fred pandolfi barney uq fred edu fred au>

	a)	What were the major environmental changes associated with the Cenozoic geological evolution of the shallow-water Indo-Pacific region?
	b)	Is there evidence for past regional-scale taxonomic turnover events in the speciation or extinction history of the major reef organisms of the Indo-Pacific?
	c)	How did the development and ecology of Indo-Pacific reef communities respond to past environmental change?
	d)	What is the significance of past major environmental changes and their biotic responses for informing us about the response and recovery of living reef ecosystems to human impacts and global change?

Mini-Symposium 3: Calcification and Coral Reefs - Past and Future
C. Langdon, J. Kleypas, J. Horst
"Email" <clangdon barney rsmas fred miami fred edu>

	a)	How have calcification rates in reef-building organisms and on reefs changed over time?
	b)	What are the main environmental factors controlling calcification rates in corals and on coral reefs?
	c)	What are the various biocalcification mechanisms in organisms, and what does that mean in terms of the calcification response to changing environmental conditions?
	d)	What are our best predictions about future calcification rates on coral reefs at both the organism and reef scales, taking into account multiple variables that affect calcification?
	e)	Is there a connection between reef bleaching and sea water chemistry?

Mini-Symposium 4: Coral reef organisms as recorders of local and global environmental change
M. McCulloch, P. Swart, B. Rosenheim
"Email" <Malcolm fred McCulloch barney anu fred edu fred au, pswart barney rsmas fred miami fred edu>

	a)	What coral recorders are accurate indicators of changes in water quality, and what have we learned from them?
	b)	Are there any suitable proxies that accurately record past bleaching or disease events?
	c)	How can the best climate information (particularly SST and salinity) be recovered from coral reconstructions?
	d)	How well can we resolve inter-annual and longer-term variations in tropical marine climate from coral reconstructions?
	e)	What have we learned about past climate variations from coral paleoclimate records?

Mini-Symposium 5: Len Muscatine memorial mini-symposium on the functional biology of corals and coral symbiosis: Molecular biology, cell biology and physiology
S.K. Davy, V.M. Weis, A.A. Venn
"Email" <Simon fred davy barney vuw fred ac fred nz>

	a)	What is the cellular basis of host-symbiont recognition and specificity in corals?
	b)	What are the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying host-symbiont signaling and regulation in corals?
	c)	What are the molecular, cellular and physiological mechanisms underlying key aspects of coral biology, including photo-acclimation and photo-protection, host-symbiont nutrition, and calcification?
	d)	How diverse are the molecular, cellular and physiological processes underlying coral/algal symbiosis?

Mini-Symposium 6: Ecological and Evolutionary Genomics of Coral Reef Organisms
M. Medina, M. A. Coffroth, J. Schwarz
"Email" <mmendina barney ncmerced fred edu>

	a)	What is the role of genome science in coral reef ecology and evolution, examples from symbiosis, bleaching, disease, microbial communities and phylogenomics?
	b)	What genomic approaches are already available for coral reef science?
	c)	What are the challenges for integrating global climate data with genomic data?
	d)	Do genomic approaches hold promise for developing environmental monitoring?

Mini-Symposium 7: Diseases on coral reefs
K. Kim, D. Harvell, C. Page
"Email" <kiho barney american fred edu>

	a)	What is the role of diseases in the evolutionary history of coral reef systems?
	b)	Which organisms and microbial communities cause coral diseases?
	c)	Which environmental factors influence diseases by altering host-pathogen interactions? Are disease outbreaks related to climate anomalies, particularly warming?
	d)	What are the major resistance mechanisms to coral disease?

Mini-Symposium 8: Coral Microbial Interactions
K. Ritchie, A. Kushmaro, J. Ward, M. Teplitski
"Email" <ritchie barney mote fred org>

	a)	What is the role of coral-associated microbial communities in maintaining coral health? How do these communities change in response to environmental factors?
	b)	What mutualistic or symbiotic relationships exist between the coral/zooxanthellae and associated microorganisms? What benefit do these microbes provide?
	c)	Do microbes associated with corals interact with each other and the coral host? How do these interactions affect coral health?
	d)	Are there signals/nutritional cues secreted by the coral that promote/recruit colonization by certain microbial species? What is the functional architecture of microbes on the coral surface?

Mini-Symposium 9: Chemical Ecology on Coral Reefs
V.J. Paul, K. Arthur, N. Lindquist, J. Pawlik
"Email" <paul barney si fred edu>

	a)	How have changes in reef communities been influenced by chemical defenses and other chemical interactions, and what role does chemical ecology play on disturbed reefs?
	b)	How do cyanobacteria and other harmful algae, through toxicity, chemical defenses, and biomagnification, affect reef organisms and communities?
	c)	Are secondary metabolites important in absorbing UV radiation and preventing bleaching?
	d)	What is the importance of chemical ecology in symbiosis and pathogenesis of reef organisms?
	e)	Can natural products and drug discovery promote reef conservation?

Mini-Symposium 10: Ecological processes on today's reef ecosystems
D. Lirman, P. Fong, W. Cooper
"Email" <dlirman barney rsmas fred miami fred edu>

	a)	What life-history stage is most sensitive to organismal success? Or, does performance in one life stage alter performance and selection in subsequent life stages?
	b)	What role do the key processes, including herbivory, predation, competition and recruitment, play in the structuring, functioning and persistence of coral reef ecosystems?
	c)	When and where is larval supply or recruitment potential really important for population success?
	d)	How will key ecosystem processes change under alternative community states and disturbance scenarios in the future?

Mini-Symposium 11: From molecules to moonbeams: How is reproductive timing regulated in coral reef organisms?
J.R. Guest, A. Baird, A. Heyward, K. Clifton
"Email" <james fred guest barney ncl fred ac fred uk>

	a)	Are there sufficient data to make valid comparisons about reproductive patterns among geographical regions?
	b)	Which environmental factors control reproductive timing in coral reef organisms?
	c)	How are environmental signals perceived and translated into action by the organisms?
	d)	Will changes in environmental cues associated with climate change affect reproductive success?

Mini-Symposium 12: Reef resilience
C. Birkeland, B.E. Brown, A. Hagan
"Email" <charlesb barney hawaii fred edu>

	a)	What are the pathways by which previous experience with sub-lethal stress allows corals to acclimatize and become better prepared physiologically for additional stress?
	b)	Is selection strong enough that adaptation to local environmental stresses can occur under usual levels of connectivity?
	c)	How does the physical environment (e.g., climate/ocean interactions, local water motion, and shade) enhance the ability of corals to endure thermal stress in some localities more than others?
	d)	How is the capacity of coral communities to recover affected by initial community composition (e.g., branching, massive or mixed species) and by morphological characteristics of the reef (e.g., topographic complexity and solidified substrata)?

Mini-Symposium 13: Evolution and conservation of coral reef ecosystems
S. Planes, C. Meyer, G. Bernardi
"Email" <planes barney univ-perp fred fr>

	a)	How can conservation efforts draw on studies of coral reef evolution?
	b)	What evolutionary processes are most critical to conserve?
	c)	How can the perceived gap between contemporary conservation efforts and long-term evolutionary processes be effectively bridged?

Mini-Symposium 14: Reef connectivity
P. Barber, H. Galindo, B. Warner
"Email" <pbarber barney bu fred edu>

	a)	At what temporal and spatial scales are coral reefs biologically connected?
	b)	Given the unique responses of individual species, how do we combine connectivity data across taxa to form a better understanding of connectivity of reef communities?
	c)	Is connectivity among coral reefs merely a consequence of accurately estimating fluid dynamics, or does animal behavior influence connectivity?
	d)	Where are the mismatches between phylogeographic patterns and contemporary hydrodynamic corridors, and why do they occur?

Mini-Symposium 15: Hydrodynamics of coral-reef systems
C. J. Hearn, C. D. Storlazzi, F.E. Pagán
"Email" <cjhearn barney usgs fred gov>

	a)	How well do numerical models represent hydrodynamic processes in coral reef systems?
	b)	How are new data adding to our understanding of hydrodynamic processes on coral reefs and how much do we know about the role of hydrodynamics in the biogeochemical dynamics, morphology and health of coral reefs?
	c)	Do we understand the physical boundary zones, and boundary layers, that exist in coral reef systems due to reef topography, tides, waves, wind and other environmental forcings? What is the importance of these physical zones to transport on reefs and the associated sediment dynamics and ecology?
	d)	What is the role of roughness in coral reef hydrodynamics and how well separated are spatial scales in their influence on hydrodynamics? What are the roles of small and large scale processes in controlling water flow, turbulence, diffusion, zonation and patchiness in reefs?

Mini-Symposium 16: Ecosystem assessment and monitoring of coral reefs - new technologies and approaches
J. Hendee, D. Manzello
"Email" <jim fred hendee barney noaa fred gov>

	a)	What are the most critical biological and geochemical variables that should be included in real-time observing systems, and how much is system dependent?
	b)	What advances have been made in coral reef monitoring technology and methodology, and what new technologies are needed to assist in facilitating coral reef research?
	c)	How do coastal observing systems contribute to our understanding of processes affecting coral reefs?
	d)	What advances have been made in coral reef monitoring technology and methodology?
	e)	What real-time systems and mechanisms are being used, and which ones are required, to produce useful new (i.e., not coral bleaching) ecosystem forecasts (e.g., fish and invertebrate spawning, larval drift, etc.) of relevance to MPA managers and researchers?

Mini-Symposium 17: Emerging Techniques in Remote Sensing and Geospatial Analysis
J. Goodman, S. Purkis, S. Phinn, and S. Kinimonth
"Email" <JGoodman barney rsmas fred miami fred edu>

	a)	What new ecological insight can be derived from remote sensing tools and geospatial analyses?
	b)	What types of benthic information can be derived from remote observations?
	c)	How is the next generation of remote sensing instruments expanding our ability to quantitatively monitor and assess coral reefs?
	d)	What trends in remote sensing and GIS are on the horizon?

Mini-Symposium 18: Reef status and trends
D. Souter, L. Jones, C. Loper, C. Wilkinson
"Email" <wilkinson barney aims fred gov fred au>

	a)	What are the current status and trends of the world's coral reefs?
	b)	How does recovery from stress differ depending on the extent and severity of habitat damage and variations in depth and reef structure?
	c)	How have global coral reef monitoring programs contributed to coral reef research, conservation and management?
	d)	Can we improve coral reef ecological and socioeconomic monitoring to answer the big questions: how are reefs responding to global climate change?

Mini-Symposium 19: Biogeochemical cycles in coral reef environments
B. Casareto, Y. Suzuki, L. Charpy
"Email" <casaretobe barney aol fred com>

	a)	What are the sources, sinks, regeneration and stoichiometry of nutrients in coral reef ecosystems?
	b)	What is the importance of diazotrophy in coral reef ecosystems? How much do benthic and planktonic communities contribute to N2 fixation in coral reef ecosystems?
	c)	What are the improvements for estimating new and excess production on coral reef ecosystems?
	d)	What are the origins, roles, and fluxes (i.e., import/export) of organic matter, DOM (dissolved organic matter) and POM (particulate organic matter) in coral reef environments?
	e)	How is the stability of coral reefs linked to the biogeochemical cycles? What processes and mechanisms link biogeochemical cycles to the health of coral reef ecosystem?

Mini-Symposium 20: Modeling concepts and processes on coral reefs
D.R. Brumbaugh, C.V. Kappel, K. Broad
"Email" <dbrumbaugh barney amnh fred org>

	a)	What are the key biophysical and socioeconomic processes that can effectively predict trajectories of decline, stasis, or recovery of coral reefs?
	b)	How can biophysical and socio-economic processes be coupled to model the future of reefs?
	c)	What conceptual, qualitative, analytical, or numerical models are currently available to link improved coastal management with changes in coral reefs?
	d)	What are the trade-offs between simpler and more complex (e.g., data rich) models and algorithms for better understanding of key ecological processes and for applications to conservation planning.

Mini-Symposium 21: Social-ecological systems
T. Hughes, M. Nystrom, J. Cinner, S. Foale
"Email" <terry fred hughes barney jcu fred edu fred au>

	a)	What are the sources of resilience in linked social-ecological systems?
	b)	How can resilience in linked social-ecological systems be bolstered or eroded?
	c)	What are the implications of the resilience concept for monitoring and managing coral reefs?
	d)	How can coastal societies deal with ecological surprise and uncertainty?

Mini-Symposium 22: Coral reef associated fisheries
T.R. McClanahan, N.V.C. Polunin, N.A.J. Graham, M.A. MacNeil
"Email" <tmcclanahan barney wcs fred org>

	a)	How do reef fisheries manipulate reef ecosystems and what is the potential to manage coral reef ecology through selectivity choices and off-take rates?
	b)	Are fisheries-driven reef system change and degradation reversible and what are the mechanisms of recovery?
	c)	Which management options (e.g. time and space closures, effort and gear restrictions, and species and size restrictions) are most useful for ecosystem management and adoption by fishers?
	d)	What metrics might be used to assess effects of reef fisheries at the ecosystem level?
	e)	How can conventional stock assessment be useful in achieving coral reef ecosystem management?
	f)	What are the prospects for reef fisheries in the future? Where should capacity be developed and how can these systems be managed under uncertainty?

Mini-Symposium 23: Reef management
M.E. Hatziolos, M. McField
"Email" <Mhatziolos barney worldbank fred org>

	a)	What management strategies work and don't work for coral reefs?
	b)	What can we learn from traditional management practices?
	c)	How can the anticipated impacts of climate change on coral reefs and the concept of resiliency be incorporated into strategic planning and reef management efforts?
	d)	At what spatial scales should we try to manage coral reefs?
	e)	How do we measure success in coral reef management and compare success from one region to another when the threats and stresses are very different?
	f)	What is ecosystem-based management in a coral reef setting?

Mini-Symposium 24: Reef restoration
A. Edwards, B. Rinkevich, A. Moulding, R. Villanueva
"Email" <a fred j fred edwards barney ncl fred ac fred uk>

	a)	Does reef restoration really work in the long run?
	b)	What are the key ecological processes that influence coral survival and recruitment and what can restoration projects learn from studies of reef resilience?
	c)	Can the ability to restore reefs increase the tendency to impact reefs, believing they are repairable?
	d)	Can new findings from coral and symbiont genetics help develop new reef restoration programs?
	e)	What lessons can be learnt from real-world reef restoration projects?

Mini-Symposium 25: Predicting reef futures in the context of climate change: Is 500 ppm CO₂ and 2°C of warming the 'tipping point' for coral reefs?
O. Hoegh-Guldberg, A. Baker
"Email" <oveh barney uq fred edu fred au, abaker barney rsmas fred miami fred edu>

	a)	What changes in temperature, CO2 and other physical environmental factors relevant to coral reefs will occur over the next 100 years? Will some reef regions experience less rapid change than others?
	b)	How will climate change impact coral reef biodiversity, community structure and ecosystem function and stability?
	c)	What scope is there for adaptation and acclimatization of reef organisms, and what might be the potential mechanisms, rates and consequences of these changes? How will we recognize these changes if they occur? To what degree can adaptation or acclimatization accommodate the projected rates of change in sea temperature, ocean acidity and other enhanced greenhouse variables?
	d)	Will the biogeographic distribution of coral reefs shift in response to climate change? Might we expect community changes as a result of taxonomic differences in dispersal capability?
	e)	How will reefs respond to other factors that may be affected by climate change such as drying land-masses, changing land use, intensifying storms and rising sea level? Will interactions between these factors be an important aspect for reef science and management to consider?
	f)	What are the future trajectories for coral reefs given the latest projections of atmosphere and climate over this century (e.g. the Fourth Assessment report from the IPCC)? Are we fast approaching a "tipping point" for coral reefs?
	g)	What are the big questions facing reef management, and how can science help identify or prioritize sustainable management options for coral reefs in an era of rapid climate change?

Mini-Symposium 26: Biodiversity and diversification of reef organisms
A. Kerr, G. Paulay, and M. Pichon
"Email" <uogmarinelab barney gmail fred com>

	a)	What do taxonomic surveys tell us about the extent and assembly of reef biodiversity?
	b)	What are the spatio-temporal components of diversification: how and why does speciation occur among reef organisms?
	c)	What are we learning about diversity and diversification in challenging groups, such as corals, with the expanding tool box of integrative taxonomy?
	d)	How does host specificity impact the diversity and diversification of symbiotic taxa?