Publication Date:
2021-05-19
Description:
The mean temperature on the planet is increasing. The rate of
this increase appears to be accelerating and is at present
approximately 2 degrees per century. 1998 was the warmest
year since temperature recordings started some 150 years ago.
Similarly the 1990s was the warmest decade. In addition,
1997 and 1998 saw the strongest El Niño ever recorded. As a
consequence of this, very high water temperatures were
observed in many parts of the oceans, particularly in the
tropical areas. Due to the high water temperatures, the corals
over much of the world bleached and subsequently died. In
1997–98, massive mortality occurred particularly among corals
of the Indian Ocean. The reefs of Sri Lanka, Maldives, India,
Kenya, Tanzania, and Seychelles were particularly hard hit,
with mortalities of up to 95%. Reefs in other parts of the
Indian Ocean showed mortality rates up to 50%. Hence the
coral mortality during 1998 was the unprecedented in severity.
The secondary effects on the socio-economic condition in the
coastal communities of the Indian Ocean are presently studied
as a part of the CORDIO Program (Coral Reef Degradation
of the Indian Ocean).
Description:
Published
Keywords:
Climate change
;
Coral reefs
Repository Name:
AquaDocs
Type:
Report
,
Non-Refereed
Format:
151116 bytes
Format:
application/pdf
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