Over the past three years, coral reefs have experienced a temporary refuge in the La Niña phase. However, the tide is turning as we face an unfolding El Niño event, ushering in warmer conditions that pose a renewed threat to these fragile ecosystems.
During this webinar, experts from CORDIO East Africa shared information about the current El Niño transition and its potential consequences, particularly the increased risk of coral bleaching during the warm summer months of January to June 2024, in the Western Indian Ocean. They shared specific tools, resources, and adaptive strategies tailored to coral bleaching response efforts in the region. We also heard updates on regional projects and discussed methods and timing for bleaching monitoring to aid in collaborative efforts on the ground. An expert from NOAA Coral Reef Watch joined us to provide a bleaching outlook specific to the region and shared updates to NOAA Coral Reef Watch products that help managers better understand if their reefs are at risk.
After the webinar, the speakers answered more questions asked by the audience. Read the additional questions and answers here.
Resources
- Coral Bleaching Monitoring Guide – Western Indian Ocean (Obura 2016)
- Indian Ocean Coral Bleaching Reporting Form
- Coral Reef Monitoring in Eastern Africa: A Guide for Communities (Kawaka et al. 2016)
- Allen Coral Atlas
- Indian Ocean Coral Bleaching – CORDIO East Africa
- Regions – GCRMN
- NOAA Coral Reef Watch
- Reef Resilience Network Coral Bleaching Toolkit
- Development of a coral bleaching response plan worksheet
- Reef Resilience Network case studies and article summaries about coral bleaching from around the world
