The Maldives, long thought of as an island paradise in the Indian Ocean, has suffered severe damage to the coral reefs that have made it one of the world’s premier diving destinations.
The nation’s islands include 26 major coral atolls, creating deep blue lagoons and extensive beaches, but rising temperatures have caused bleaching of perhaps 60% of the corals, which turns them white.
Scientists are hopeful that the bleaching, attributed to record heat this summer, will not be fatal. Dr. Ameer Abdulla, research team leader and advisor on marine science told The Telegraph (UK) that “Bleaching does not always equal coral mortality as coral can recover. We are truly hoping that the bleaching we observed does not turn into mortality as that would be serious.”
Reefs around the world have suffered serious bleaching this year, with most attention going to areas such as the Great Barrier Reef off Australia, where pollution and industrialization are also involved, unlike in the Maldives.
The World Wildlife Fund estimates that about a quarter of all marine life depends on coral reefs. In areas like the Maldives, where tourism and fishery are the main industries, the dependence is even greater: the government estimates that 89% of the Gross Domestic Product is based on the sea.
For more details from The Guardian, click HERE
Photos: above, Maldives coral in happier times (Bettyx1138/Wikimedia);
below, bleached coral in Maldives, 2016 (Caitlin Seaview Survey)
