<
https://theconversation.com/record-coral-cover-doesnt-necessarily-mean-the-great-barrier-reef-is-in-good-health-despite-what-you-may-have-heard-188233>
"In what seems like excellent news, coral cover in parts of the Great Barrier
Reef is at a record high, according to new data from the Australian Institute
of Marine Science. But this doesn’t necessarily mean our beloved reef is in
good health.
In the north of the reef, coral cover usually fluctuates between 20% and 30%.
Currently, it’s at 36%, the highest level recorded since monitoring began more
than three decades ago.
This level of coral cover comes hot off the back of a disturbing decade that
saw the reef endure six mass coral bleaching events, four severe tropical
cyclones, active outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish, and water quality
impacts following floods. So what’s going on?
High coral cover findings can be deceptive because they can result from only a
few dominant species that grow rapidly after disturbance (such as mass
bleaching). These same corals, however, are extremely susceptible to
disturbance and are likely to die out within a few years."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
