The 2016 Bleaching Strips Half the Reef Again

2016

The global 2015–16 bleaching event killed roughly 35% of lagoon coral at 2 m and 54–55% on the seaward reef. Aldabra's isolation then showed in the recovery: by 2019 lagoon hard-coral cover was back to 93% of pre-bleaching levels, against 54% at eastern seaward sites.