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AIMS scientist and a world authority on coral bleaching, Dr Ray
Berkelmans said "This is up to a month earlier than we’ve seen in
previous bleaching events in 1998 and 2002. Since there is still a
long way to go this summer, these conditions do not bode well for
reefs in the Keppels".
But AIMS coral bleaching researchers remain optimistic, hoping for a
repeat of the recovery witnessed on Keppel reefs following major
bleaching episodes in 1998 and 2002.
AIMS scientists were at the
forefront in documenting the wrath of those dramatic summer heatwaves
that bleached reefs worldwide. Dr Berkelmans, said the Keppels
suffered near 100% bleaching during those events but this area also
recovered 3-6 months later, revealing a remarkable resilience not seen
in many other places on the Great Barrier Reef.
Research in the Keppel Islands is showing this area to be pretty
special. "We have found that corals have the ability to change the
type of algae they associate with and that this alters their thermal
tolerance. Corals in the Keppels also seem to grow faster than their
northern counterparts and store more fats. We believe this may be at
least part of the reason why the Keppels are able to bounce back from
a heat wave that had dire consequences for other regions," Dr
Berkelmans said.AIMS Scientists are hopeful of a similar recovery following this
bout of bleaching and will audit the situation in three weeks time as
well as conduct more experiments.
AIMS works closely with GBRMPA and the University of Queensland in
monitoring and researching the effects of coral bleaching.
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Map showing the Queensland coast
on the Coral Sea. Red circle indicates
the study area of the story.
A typical example of bleached coral
on the GBR.
Image: AIMS |
