"Worst coral die-off seen since 1998" due to coral bleaching

"Certainly the worst coral die-off seen since 1998. It may prove to be the worst such event known to science," says the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies about the recent coral bleaching.

Bleaching at Cyrene Reef in Jun 2010, photo by Marcus Ng
shared on the Bleach Watch Singapore flickr group

Many reefs are dead or dying across the Indian Ocean and into the Coral Triangle following a bleaching event that extends from the Seychelles in the west to Sulawesi and the Philippines in the east and include reefs in Sri Lanka, Burma Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and many sites in western and eastern Indonesia.

Coral bleaching in Singapore in the news

60% of Singapore corals were bleaching in mid-2010, but recently, there are signs of recovery, reported the Straits Times today.

Mass bleaching seen in June on a submerged reef off Pulau Semakau

As with bleaching elsewhere, bleaching in Singapore is mainly attributed to unusually high sea temperatures.

Malaysian coral under threat: AlJazeera video clip

Al Jazeera's Stephanie Scawen has been investigating the effects on Malaysia's Tioman Island.
Scientists have said that the first seven months of this year brought the hottest combined sea and land temperatures to parts of Southeastt Asia, since records began.

That has led to some of the worst coral bleaching the region has ever seen.

Iconic coral species the most vulnerable to bleaching

Evan Schwarten AAP Sydney Morning Herald 17 Aug 10;

The Great Barrier Reef's dominant coral species are among the most vulnerable to the effects of global warming, a new study has found.

A groundbreaking study into the immunity of coral species has found the iconic Acroporidae family to be among the most susceptible to outbreaks of disease or bleaching.

Bleaching in Indonesia leads to massive death on reefs

A survey of corals in Aceh, Indonesia revealed one of the most rapid and severe coral mortality events ever recorded. The scientists found that 80% of some species have died since the initial assessment and more colonies are expected to die within the next few months.
The Wildlife Conservation Society today released initial field observations that indicate that a dramatic rise in the surface temperature in Indonesian waters has resulted in a large-scale bleaching event that has devastated coral populations.

Due to Coral Bleaching 12 Malaysian Travel Sites Temporarily Closed To Tourists

Bernama 21 Jul 10;

LANGKAWI, July 21 (Bernama) -- Nine marine park islands and three islands off Langkawi, Terengganu and Pahang are closed to tourists from July 2 to Oct 31 due to coral bleaching.
Marine Parks Department director-general Abdul Jamal Mydin said the coral degradation, which was caused by global warming, was worse than in 1998.

Coral bleaching events elsewhere

Today, The Star featured a report of extensive coral bleaching at Tioman on 5-7 Jun.

Photo from The Star 10 Jun.

“The cabbage corals, brain corals and staghorn corals have turned white,” said Kids Scuba director and scuba educator Syed Abdul Rahman Syed Hassan.

Near-real-time bleach watch satellite information from NOAA

NOAA's Coral Reef Watch Program's satellite data provide current reef environmental conditions to quickly identify areas at risk for coral bleaching.

The site provides lots of near-real-time information, including Bleaching Alert Areas.

Bleaching in our Southern Islands: 28 May - 2 Jun 2010

Karenne Tun shared photos of bleaching at Pulau Hantu and Raffles Lighthouse on facebook.

Besides hard corals, even sea anemones were bleaching!

She said "Reminiscent of the 1998 bleaching event - but perhaps a shade less severe. Its still early days yet; Sea Surface Temperatures (SST) hovering around 31degC. Hoping that it will not get warmer than that. Did 2 surveys today - at Pulau Hantu and Raffles Lighthouse, to assess the severity of the bleaching. Working out potential recovery index now."

What happened in the 1998 coral bleaching event?

How much of our corals were affected? Did they recover?

Find out from this presentation:

• What are Corals and Coral Reefs?
• What is Coral Bleaching?
• Why do Corals Bleach?
• 1998 - A Bleak Year for Coral Reefs
• Coral Bleaching in Singapore
• Monitoring the Bleaching and some results
• So What’s Next?