Assessment of Maldivian coral reefs in 2009 after natural disasters

Abstract

In this report we examine a commonly accepted suite of biological indicators of coral reef health from a geographically diverse set of lagoon, shallow Maldivian reefs from northern Haa Dhaalu to Addu atoll, south of the equator, based on field work undertaken from February – October 2009. The Marine Research Centre’s (MRC) National Coral Reef Monitoring Survey (NCRMS) data set based on Reef Check survey methodology will provide an historical record, along with other outside agency studies, for assessing the recovery of Maldivian coral reefs to natural disasters in the past 12 years. The annual sea water temperature variation for the Maldives will be discussed in the context of its relationship to geographical and seasonal variation and coral bleaching. The status of the reefs will be broadly compared with the situation on other regional reefs that experienced bleaching.