BRS Lisa McManus: Eco-evolutionary insights and machine learning to advance coral reef science

host: Mary O'Connor lab

Title: Eco-evolutionary insights and machine learning to advance coral reef science

Abstract: Climate change is altering coral reef ecosystems worldwide, necessitating new approaches to understand their adaptive potential and inform conservation efforts. In this talk, I will present a collection of studies that implement eco-evolutionary theory and machine learning techniques to advance coral reef science and management. First, I will introduce an eco-evolutionary framework to explore factors influencing coral population persistence under climate change in the Caribbean, Southwest Pacific, and Indo-Pacific. Our findings reveal how larval connectivity and local temperature regimes interact to shape regional reef dynamics. Next, I will present research evaluating different spatial management strategies that consider eco-evolutionary processes and environmental characteristics. This work suggests that protecting thermally diverse reefs may be crucial for maintaining network-wide coral persistence. Lastly, I will discuss ongoing work using machine learning techniques to detect potential regime shifts on coral reefs. This approach aims to identify critical transitions in reef ecosystems, potentially providing early warning signals for conservation planning. Collectively, this research seeks to contribute to our understanding of coral reef futures and inform strategies for preserving these ecosystems in a rapidly changing environment.