Consequences of the 1998 Coral Bleaching Event for the Islands of the Western Indian Ocean
Coral reefs are vital for coastal populations and for human activities in general, as they provide people both with living resources and with "services" such as shore protection, sand accretion and coastal tourism. The coral bleaching event of 1997-1998 summer is the most geographically wide spread and severe ever recorded. In the Indian Ocean, warm waters migrated from the South to the North during the first six months. As temperature stress was extreme and/or prolonged, mortality was catastrophically high in many areas (Kenya, Comoros, Seychelles, Tanzania, Maldives), the amount of dead corals ranging from 50-90%. Therefore, ITMEMS (International Tropical Marine Ecosystems Management Symposium) held in Townsville on 24 november 1998 recommended that a multi-disciplinary taskforce immediately be set up.
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| Format: | Report biblioteca |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
1999
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| Subjects: | Coral reefs, |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1834/492 |
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