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   Maticka, Samantha A.; Rogers, Justin S.; Woodson, Clifton B.; Hefner, Benjamin B.; Monismith, Stephen G. (October 2022, Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans)

   Abstract We discuss observations of tidally varying wave‐forced flows in the reef system on Ofu, American Samoa, a barrier reef and lagoon system that appears open at low tide and closed at high tide. At high tide, the free‐surface pressure gradient nearly balances the radiation stress gradient in the depth‐integrated momentum equation. At depth, there is an imbalance between these two forces, generating an undertow and flows that turn alongshore, and for some of the time, offshore, behavior similar to rip currents observed on beaches. At low tides, the wave forcing drives purely onshore flows. In general, wave transport is important to determining the total net transport. While the dynamically closed nature of the lagoon mostly suppresses cross‐reef transport, there is always some flow through the lagoon with the strongest flows occurring at high tides and when the wave forcing is strongest. 

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4. Designing a blueprint for coral reef survival

   https://doi.org/doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109107  

   Kleypas, Joan et (January 2021, Biological conservation)

   null (Ed.)

   Maintaining coral reef ecosystems is a social imperative, because so many people depend on coral reefs for food production, shoreline protection, and livelihoods. The survival of reefs this century, however, is threatened by the mounting effects of climate change. Climate mitigation is the foremost and essential action to prevent coral reef ecosystem collapse. Without it, reefs will become extremely diminished within the next 20–30 years. Even with strong climate mitigation, however, existing conservation measures such as marine protected areas and fisheries management are no longer sufficient to sustain the ecosystem and many additional and innovative actions to increase reef resilience must also be taken. In this paper we assess the suite of protections and actions in terms of their potential to be effective according to a set of criteria that include effectiveness, readiness, co-benefits and disbenefits. Even with the best scientific innovation, saving coral reefs will require a well-funded, well-designed, and rapidly executed strategy with political and social commitments at the level of other grand challenges. 

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5. Toward a New Era of Coral Reef Monitoring

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   Apprill, Amy; Girdhar, Yogesh; Mooney, T. Aran; Hansel, Colleen M.; Long, Matthew H.; Liu, Yaqin; Zhang, W. Gordon; Kapit, Jason; Hughen, Konrad; Coogan, Jeff; et al (April 2023, Environmental Science & Technology)