Perilous Times
Indonesia's coral reefs dying at alarming rate
The Associated Press
Wednesday, August 18, 2010; 5:08 PM
JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Coral that survived the 2004 tsunami is now dying
at one of the fastest rates ever recorded because of a dramatic rise in
water temperatures off northwestern Indonesia, conservationists said,
warning Wednesday that the threat extends to other reefs across Asia.
The Wildlife Conservation Society deployed marine biologists to Aceh
province, on the tip of Sumatra island, in May when surface waters in
the Andaman Sea peaked at 93 degrees Fahrenheit (34 degrees Celsius) -
a 7 degree Fahrenheit (4 degree Celsius) rise over long-term averages.
The teams discovered massive bleaching, which occurs when algae living
inside coral tissues are expelled. Subsequent surveys carried out
together with Australia's James Cook University and Indonesia's Syiah
Kuala University showed 80 percent of those corals have since died.
Though the scientists have yet to submit the data for publication in a
peer-reviewed journal, they and others say the speed and extent of
mortality appears to exceed that of other bleachings in recent history.
The cause appears to be the warming seas, which to some degree can be
blamed on global warming.
"This is a tragedy not only for some of the world's most biodiverse
coral reefs, but also for people in the region," said Caleb McClennen,
the New York-based group's marine program manager for Indonesia, noting
that many depend on the rich marine life for their food and money
earned through tourism.
Coral formations were severely damaged by El Nino-linked warming in
1997 and 1998.
They were just bouncing back when a Dec. 26, 2004, earthquake off
Sumatra triggered a tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people in a
dozen countries. The disaster damaged more than a third of Aceh's
reefs, but scientists said they recovered faster than expected, thanks
largely to natural colonization and a drop in illegal fishing.
"It's a disappointing development, particularly in light of the fact
that these same corals proved resilient to other disruptions to this
ecosystem," Stuart Campbell of the Wildlife Conservation Society wrote
on their website.
"It is an unfortunate reminder that international efforts to curb the
causes and effects of climate change must be made if these sensitive
ecosystems and the vulnerable human communities ... that depend on them
are to adapt and endure," Campbell wrote.
The high water temperatures - which the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration's Coral Hotspots website indicates have
affected the entire Andaman Sea and beyond - also occurred soon after
the sun was at its zenith and at time of little cloud cover or wind.
Clive Wilkinson, a coordinator at the Global Coral Reef Monitoring
Network in Australia, called it a "lethal combination" for coral,
especially when it continues for more than a month, as was also the
case in 1998.
The hotspot has affected reefs across Indonesia as well as in Malaysia,
Thailand, Vietnam and Sri Lanka, and it is now pushing its way
northward.
"We are in a major heating period, it's breaking all records, and there
are very furious worries now about the Philippines and eventually
Taiwan and probably southern Japan," Wilkinson said. "This is really
quite serious."
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Online:
WCS:
http://www.wcs.org
NOOA
hotspots:
http://www.osdpd.noaa.gov/data/cb/hotspots/2010/hotspote.8.16.2010.gif