What are the threats to the Maldives coral reefs?

As well as rising sea levels, ocean temperature increases are also impacting life on the island nation. The Maldives has around 2,500 coral reefs, making them the dominant ecosystem found across the archipelago. As ocean temperatures rise, symbiotic algae in the coral turn white - a process called bleaching.



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Apart from 'bleaching', coral reefs around popular tourist destinations are also faced with problems such as coastal development, destructive fishing methods, and pollution from domestic and industrial sewage.

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Global warming and rising sea levels are causing warming of the seas and more severe frequent tidal waves and flooding in Maldives. Tidal waves and flooding often contaminate groundwater and sewerage systems leading to disease outbreaks in the country.

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Temperature is not the only thing that can cause this; changes in light availability, nutrients or pH can also cause bleaching. In the Maldives, however, SST increase is the main driver. The SST in the Maldives records an average of 28-30°C, but can vary across the island ecosystem.

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Major coral bleaching in the Maldives has been recorded in 1998, 2016, 2017 and 2020. Live coral cover declined to as low as 2 per cent average cover. So, they need solutions to help with coral recovery. Our researchers recently travelled to the Maldives to help implement solutions.

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Maldives coral reefs under stress from climate change: research survey reveals over 60% of corals bleached.

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Maldives is one of the lowest countries in the world, and hence, is greatly threatened by sea level rise, coastal storm surges, and associated flooding.

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In 1998, 90 per cent of the shallow hard coral in the Maldives died as a result of elevated sea temperatures. There have also been subsequent mass coral die-off events in the years since.

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