Coral Bleaching Alert Issued by Maldives Marine Research Institute

The Maldives Marine Research Institute (MMRI) has issued a warning regarding coral bleaching for the current year.

During the same period last year, instances of coral bleaching were identified in certain areas.

Currently, the Maldives is placed at the "watch level" in the forecast for potential coral bleaching. MMRI anticipates this risk to escalate to a critical level within the next 12 weeks.

In response to this warning, which coincides with the hottest months of February to May, MMRI has urged individuals to report via email or through its website any instances of white coral observed.

One of the primary contributors to coral bleaching is the rise in global temperatures due to climate change.

Efforts must be undertaken to mitigate the impact of such occurrences. MMRI previously highlighted that large-scale land reclamation projects, particularly in the Maldives, could impede the recovery of reefs post-bleaching events. Hence, such factors should be carefully considered when implementing such projects.

Earlier data provided by the agency to Mihaaru indicated that instances of coral bleaching have been increasing since the first recorded event in 1998. One of the most severe incidents occurred in 2016.

During this time, extensive studies were conducted on coral bleaching. The MMRI report following the study identified that 73 percent of corals were observed to be bleached white in 2016.