Assessing Coral Reef Resilience to Climate Change in Thailand

Authors

  • Makamas - Sutthacheep Ramkhamhaeng Univerity
  • Kazuhiko Sakai Station, Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, JAPAN
  • Thamasak Yeemin Marine Biodiversity Research Group, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ramkhamhaeng University, Bangkok, THAILAND
  • Sittiporn Pensakun Marine Biodiversity Research Group, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ramkhamhaeng University, Bangkok, THAILAND
  • Wanlaya Klinthong Marine Biodiversity Research Group, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ramkhamhaeng University, Bangkok, THAILAND
  • Watchara Samsuvan Marine Biodiversity Research Group, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ramkhamhaeng University, Bangkok, THAILAND

Keywords:

coral bleaching, recruitment, resilience, assessment, Thailand

Abstract

Major coral bleaching phenomena have resulted in widespread coral mortality in recent decades. The assessment of coral reef resilience to climate change is an important task but has been difficult to carry out because of a lack of empirical scientific data. Coral reef resilience at twenty study sites in Thai waters was quantitatively assessed, approximately two years following the 2010 severe bleaching event, based on the percentage of non-bleached coral colony, the percentage of surviving coral colonies and the density of juvenile corals. Coral reef resilience varied greatly among the study sites and major reef groups according to their community structure, largely due to the differing bleaching resistance and tolerance of the dominant coral species. Most study sites in the Gulf of Thailand had much lower coral recruitment rates compared to other reef sites in Thai waters. The study sites in the inner Gulf of Thailand had the highest resilience while the study sites in the Andaman Sea had the lowest

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Published

2018-04-30

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