Shifting Reefs: Ecological Change, Drivers, and Solutions for Caribbean Coral Reef Ecosystems

The coral reefs of the Caribbean are undergoing rapid and complex ecological transformations. From mass bleaching and disease outbreaks like Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD), to chronic overfishing and land-based pollution, these stressors are reshaping reef communities and undermining the ecological services they provide. Yet, across the region, scientists, NGOs, and governments are leading efforts to understand and counteract these threats through long-term monitoring, community engagement, and innovative conservation and restoration strategies.

This Research Topic aims to showcase both the ecological changes occurring across Caribbean reefs, including identify the social and environmental drivers behind these shifts, and highlight regional solutions that promote resilience. We invite contributions that reflect the strength of collaborative initiatives, as well as contributions from academic institutions, local NGOs, coastal communities, and marine resource agencies across the Caribbean.

This is a critical moment for Caribbean reefs, not only to document the ecological consequences of rapid change, but to spotlight the science, leadership, and resilience emerging from within the region. We hope this Research Topic will serve as a platform to amplify these voices and catalyze cross-border collaboration toward reef recovery and sustainability.

We welcome research and syntheses across diverse themes, including:

- Coral bleaching and heat stress impacts
- SCTLD epidemiology, monitoring, and management responses
- Long-term coral reef monitoring and trends (e.g., benthic cover, fish biomass, water quality), including an overview of the 2025 GCRMN Caribbean Report
- Effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and fishery management tools
- Coral reef restoration
- Reef functional ecology and community structure shifts
- Socio-ecological approaches and community-led conservation
- Climate change vulnerability assessments and resilience metrics
- Innovations in monitoring methods (e.g., remote sensing, digital twins, AI tools)
- Integration of traditional ecological knowledge and stakeholder participation

Submissions may include Original Research, Review Articles, Community Case Studies, Methods, Perspective Pieces, or Policy Briefs.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Community Case Study
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Community Case Study
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Caribbean coral reefs, Coral bleaching, Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD), Reef Resilience, Climate Change Impacts, Coral Reef Monitoring, Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), Fishery Management, Coral Reef Restoration, Socio-ecological systems

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.