Abstract
Coral bleaching continues to be one of the most devastating and immediate impacts of climate change on coral reef ecosystems worldwide. In 2015, a major bleaching event was declared as the “3rd global coral bleaching event” by the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, impacting a large number of reefs in every major ocean. The Red Sea was no exception, and we present herein in situ observations of the status of coral reefs in the central Saudi Arabian Red Sea from September 2015, following extended periods of high temperatures reaching upwards of 32.5°C in our study area. We examined eleven reefs using line-intercept transects at three different depths, including all reefs that were surveyed during a previous bleaching event in 2010. Bleaching was most prevalent on inshore reefs (55.6% ± 14.6% of live coral cover exhibited bleaching) and on shallower transects (41% ± 10.2% of live corals surveyed at 5m depth) within reefs. Similar taxonomic groups (e.g., Agariciidae) were affected in 2015 and in 2010. Most interestingly, Acropora and Porites had similar bleaching rates (~30% each) and similar relative coral cover (~7% each) across all reefs in 2015. Coral genera with the highest levels of bleaching (>60%) were also among the rarest (<1% of coral cover) in 2015. While this bodes well for the relative retention of coral cover, it may ultimately lead to decreased species richness, often considered an important component of a healthy coral reef. The resultant long-term changes in these coral reef communities remain to be seen.
Highlights
Increasing global temperatures caused by climate change have negatively impacted coral reefs, resulting in an increase in the frequency of large-scale bleaching events [1]
Coral bleaching in the central Saudi Arabian Red Sea
We present results from in situ observations of the central Red Sea during the 2015 global coral bleaching event
Summary
Increasing global temperatures caused by climate change have negatively impacted coral reefs, resulting in an increase in the frequency of large-scale bleaching events [1]. Coral bleaching in the central Saudi Arabian Red Sea. States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) declared 2015–2016 to be a global coral bleaching event, the third in the past 20 years. States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) declared 2015–2016 to be a global coral bleaching event, the third in the past 20 years It has been considered the longest and most widespread global coral bleaching event with some reefs in Hawai’i and the Great Barrier Reef experiencing severe bleaching twice [3,4,5]. Coral bleaching has become the main driver of coral reef degradation globally [4,9]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
