Slumping: A Growing Threat to Soft Corals Caused by Climate Change
Soft corals off the coast of Jeju Island in South Korea are facing an unprecedented threat known as 'slumping', driven by rising ocean temperatures and harsher weather linked to climate change. Unlike hard corals with rigid skeletons, soft corals rely on internal fluid pressure to stay upright. Environmental changes disrupt this pressure, causing them to collapse, deteriorate, and eventually die. Researchers warn that recurring slumping events, compounded by high water temperatures and regional weather patterns, are drastically reducing the recovery capacity of these vital marine ecosystems.
Key Points
- Soft corals rely on internal fluid pressure for structural support, making them vulnerable to environmental changes that disrupt this pressure.
- Rising temperatures and climate change are causing soft corals around Jeju Island to slump, collapse, and deteriorate over successive events.
- Researchers documented Jeju's first major soft coral slumping event in a May article published in Scientific Reports.
- El Nino and freshwater inflow from China's Yangtze River can further exacerbate salinity changes and trigger slumping conditions.
Exam Facts
- The slumping phenomenon was monitored by the Paran Ocean Citizen Science Group around uninhabited islets south of Jeju.
- Researchers Kim Taihun and Anna Beate Jöst documented the event in Scientific Reports.
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