As the world grapples with the devastating effects of the 4th global coral bleaching event, The Reef-World Foundation has developed the Green Fins Global Coral Bleaching Response Toolkit. This comprehensive resource aims to provide guidance on how the diving and snorkelling industry — the frontline guardians of our reefs, can play a pivotal role in managing and monitoring the impacts of coral bleaching.
WHAT IS CORAL BLEACHING?
When corals are stressed by changes in conditions such as temperature, light or nutrients, they expel the symbiotic algae living in their tissues, causing them to turn completely white. These algae provide up to 80% of the coral’s food and give them their colour, so you can see why bleaching on a large scale gives us great cause for concern!
But here’s the good news, bleached corals are not dead! Corals are resilient, they CAN survive a bleaching event but bleached corals are more susceptible to disease, have reduced reproductive capacity, and diminished growth rates, all of which threaten the biodiversity and productivity of coral reef ecosystems. In short, bleached corals are under more stress than usual and are subject to mortality. This is why Reef-World took this as an opportunity to engage with the diving and snorkelling industry to get everyone involved in protecting coral reefs and helping to monitor the impacts of bleaching events like this one.
WHAT IS A GLOBAL CORAL BLEACHING EVENT?
A global coral bleaching event occurs when significant coral bleaching has been confirmed in all the ocean regions where warm-water corals live. This is typically due to unusually high temperatures caused by El Niño events and is becoming more frequent due to the increased sea surface temperatures driven by climate change. At the time of writing (August 2024), there have been four global coral bleaching events on record, with two occurring in the last 10 years.
WHY DO WE NEED A GLOBAL CORAL BLEACHING RESPONSE TOOLKIT?
On the 14th of April 2024, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) announced confirmation of the 4th Global Coral Bleaching Event. As the Reef-World team looks to increase the engagement of the diving and snorkelling industry with international and national level management of reefs, the team realised that bleaching events like this are an opportunity for collaboration.
The diving industry is uniquely positioned to provide much needed help to international organisations and local reef managers. Diving and snorkelling operators are interacting with coral reefs almost every day, and often have access to resources and information that NGOs may not have.
There is already a lot of information out there about coral bleaching events and what we can all do to help, but the team have seen the need to combine these resources in an effort to communicate it more clearly with the diving and snorkelling industry, just as per the request from the industry themselves. From the discussions during the Sustainable Diving Think Tank workshop in ADEX 2024 in Singapore, chaired by Reef-World and the UN Environment Programme, it was clear that the industry is willing to get involved in protecting coral reefs during bleaching events but they needed clear comprehensive guidance.
HOW CAN WE HELP?
Glad you asked! The Reef-World Foundation has created the Global Coral Bleaching Response Toolkit that helps to educate the diving and snorkelling industry about the impacts of coral bleaching events and how to get involved.
The toolkit not only covers educational resources about coral bleaching events and their impacts on coral reefs but also explains how everyone from tourists to professionals, can help to keep corals healthy through these key areas:
- Reducing local impacts on coral reefs
By reducing local impacts, we can increase reef resilience to and recovery from bleaching events. Global climate change and other global threats can be daunting, but focusing on local impacts is something we can do every day to make a tangible difference. Choosing non-toxic cleaning agents, non-toxic sunscreens, holding tanks on boats and proper disposal of chemical waste can prevent harmful substances from entering marine ecosystems, thus reducing stress on coral reefs.
While they may seem like small localised actions, collectively, they can strengthen the resilience of coral ecosystems and enhance their ability to recover from bleaching events. Moreover, these efforts serve as immediate steps that communities and individuals can take, fostering a sense of empowerment and direct contribution to the health of our oceans, even as broader global challenges are addressed.
- Briefing guests/tourists
It is always important to brief guests about environmental best practice during all water activities such as scuba diving, freediving and snorkelling. Research shows that environmental dive briefings reduce diver damage to corals and encourage more responsible behaviour underwater. During bleaching events, diver contact with the reef can significantly harm already weakened corals.
Including information about coral bleaching in pre- and post-dive briefings can educate divers about the situation and inspire them to participate in conservation efforts. The more eyes on the reefs, the better!
- Monitoring bleaching events
Monitoring reefs during bleaching events is crucial for several reasons. It helps ground-truth predictive models, which are essential for effective international and national coral reef management. By providing accurate, real-time data, monitoring allows local reef managers to identify the most vulnerable and resilient areas, enabling targeted conservation efforts. It also helps in pinpointing reef refugia — areas that are naturally more resilient to bleaching — which can be prioritised for protection.
Consistent monitoring not only enhances our understanding of bleaching impacts but also supports informed decision-making and strategic interventions to protect and restore coral reefs.
- Assisting with reef recovery
After bleaching events, corals become highly vulnerable to disease and predation, which can significantly impede their recovery. While coral predators are a natural component of the ecosystem, their populations can sometimes grow unchecked, posing a large-scale threat to coral reefs. To aid in the recovery of reefs following bleaching, it is crucial to monitor coral predator populations such as drupella and Crown-of-thorns sea stars closely.
Identifying signs of overpopulation allows for timely management interventions, such as controlled removals, to mitigate the threat and support coral regeneration. By actively managing these dynamics, we can enhance the resilience of coral reefs and facilitate their recovery from bleaching events.
Let’s come together, roll up our sleeves, and safeguard the future of our precious coral reefs. This is our chance to make a real difference!
