悉尼大学的研究人员发现，25%的澳大利亚珊瑚岛，即由珊瑚礁形成的陆地，目前面临着被气候变化摧毁的高到极高的风险。 大学在南大堡礁的一棵树岛研究站。 [来源：悉尼大学]这项发表在最新一期《总体环境科学》杂志上的研究结果表明，所有56个被调查的澳大利亚珊瑚岛都面临一定程度的气候风险，但西澳大利亚斯科特礁、克莱克礁和帝国礁上的三个未经植被覆盖的小岛是最脆弱的。 来自地球科学学院的首席研究员tommy fellowes博士说：“低洼珊瑚礁岛屿及其相关珊瑚礁生态系统的命运悬而未决，受到气候变化的综合影响的威胁——海平面上升、海洋变暖、风暴加剧和酸化。 “我们首次量化了澳大利亚珊瑚岛面临的风险，我们的研究结果表明，迫切需要解决这些威胁以及这些岛屿的脆弱状况。 “属于高风险类别的岛屿，特别是西澳大利亚西北陆架上的岛屿，风险最大。 这是由于它们体积小、海拔低、棱角分明、缺乏植被、暴露于较低的海洋ph值、较高的海平面上升、与世隔绝以及频繁的热带风暴和热浪。 “研究小组的发现不仅揭示了影响珊瑚礁岛屿的环境条件的复杂性，而且使人们想到了这些岛屿的稳定性与他们支持的合法海事管辖权之间的联系。 失去这些岛屿可能会影响澳大利亚的控制区。 fellowes博士说：“珊瑚岛支持并扩展了沿海国家在广阔海域的合法海洋管辖权。”。 “这些海洋领土赋予了对包括渔业和矿产勘探在内的关键资源的主权，使珊瑚岛的稳定性和复原力成为澳大利亚和该地区海岸管理的重要战略问题。 “在澳大利亚，他们发挥着关键作用，支持大约15%，即1。 200万公里，我们的海域横跨印度洋和太平洋，北部位于托雷斯海峡。 “这项研究引入了一种创新的方法，根据珊瑚礁岛屿对气候变化的风险和抵御能力对其进行评估和分类。 该风险系统利用可在全球范围内应用的开放获取海洋气候数据和卫星图像构建，为决策者提供了一种工具，在气候快速变化的时代优先考虑脆弱珊瑚岛的保护工作。 fellowes博士说：“利用风险矩阵，我们将这些岛屿分为五类，风险从非常低到非常高不等。”。 “我们的研究结果不仅将为决策者实施适应性措施提供信息和指导，还将有助于更广泛地了解这些重要生态系统所面临的挑战。 富纳富提环礁上的岛屿。 [来源：tommy fellowes]“珊瑚岛是全球约6500万人口的家园，具有至关重要的环境、经济、社会和地缘政治意义，尤其是对我们的太平洋邻国小岛屿发展中国家来说。 fellowes博士说，虽然海平面上升构成了重大威胁，但珊瑚岛的整体生存取决于多种气候威胁，还与海洋热浪和珊瑚白化导致的珊瑚礁健康状况下降有关。 这是因为活珊瑚礁提供的沉积物使这些岛屿保持在海平面以上。 这些因素共同加剧了珊瑚岛和sids社区面临的挑战。 doi：https://doi。 组织/10。 1016/j。 scitotenv。 two thousand and twenty-three。 168787声明：作者声明没有相互竞争的利益。 这项研究由澳大利亚地球科学和一个弧发现项目资助。university of sydney researchers have found 25 percent of australias coral islands, land masses formed by reefs, currently face high to very high risk of being wiped out by climate change.the university’s one tree island research station on the southern great barrier reef. [credit: university of sydney]the findings, published in the latest edition of the journal science of the total environment, identified that all of the 56 investigated australian coral islands are exposed to some degree of climate risk but that three small, unvegetated coral islands in western australia, on scott, clerke and imperieuse reefs, are the most vulnerable.lead researcher dr tommy fellowes from the school of geosciences said: “the fate of low-lying coral reef islands and their associated reef ecosystems hangs in the balance, threatened by the compounding effects of climate change – rising sea levels, warming oceans, intensifying storms and acidification.”“we quantified the risks to australia’s coral islands for the first time and our findings make clear the urgent need to address these threats and the vulnerable state of these islands.“islands in the very high-risk category, particularly those on the north-west shelf of western australia, are most at risk. this is due to their small size, low elevation, angular shape, lack of vegetation, exposure to lower ocean ph, higher sea-level rise, isolation, and frequent tropical storms and heatwaves.”the team’s findings not only unravel the complexities of environmental conditions impacting coral reef islands but put front of mind the link between the stability of these islands and the legal maritime jurisdictions they support. losing the islands could potentially impact australia’s area of control.“coral islands support and extend coastal countries’ legal maritime jurisdictions across vast sea areas,” dr fellowes said.“these maritime territories grant sovereign rights over critical resources, including fisheries and mineral exploration, making the stability and resilience of coral islands a matter of strategic importance for australia’s and the region’s coastal management.“in australia, they play a pivotal role supporting approximately 15 percent, or 1.2 million km, of our maritime zone across the indian and pacific oceans and to the north in the torres strait.”the research introduces an innovative method to evaluate and categorise coral reef islands based on their risk from and resilience to climate change.the risk system, built using open-access ocean climate data and satellite imagery that could be applied globally, provides decision-makers with a tool to prioritise protection efforts for vulnerable coral islands in the era of rapid climate change.“using a risk matrix, we’ve classified these islands into five categories, ranging from very low to very high risk,” dr fellowes said.“our findings will not only inform and guide decision-makers in implementing adaptive measures but will also contribute to the broader global understanding of the challenges faced by these vital ecosystems.islands on funafuti atoll. [credit: tommy fellowes]“coral islands are home to an estimated 65 million people worldwide and hold crucial environmental, economic, social, and geopolitical significance, especially for our pacific neighbours on small island developing states (sids).”dr fellowes said while rising sea level poses a significant threat, the overall survival of coral islands is dependent on multiple climate threats and is also linked to declining reef health caused by marine heatwaves and coral bleaching.this is because the living reef supplies sediment that keeps the islands above sea level. these factors collectively amplify the challenges faced by coral islands and sids communities. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168787declaration: the authors declare no competing interests. the study was funded by geoscience australia and an arc discovery project.本文来源： 气候变化威胁到澳大利亚四分之一的低洼珊瑚礁岛屿
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