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By Alan Harten
Scientists are surprised but pleased to announce that the sections of the Great Barrier Reef that were damaged in 2006 by bleaching are now almost virtually recovered.
Generally, if a reef is able to recover, it can take over one or two decades to complete the process which is dependent on coral sexual reproduction from other healthy reefs.
To see the results in three years is astounding stated Chairman Sector of coral reef research David Obura of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Extremely high abnormal sea temps were responsible for causing the damaging bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef.
The Reefs were then overgrown with seaweed which could have potentially choked the coral and led to an immediate death.
Bleaching is the process when high temperatures kill the algae that coral eat to survive.
Among the chief concerns were the tourism dollars the reefs bring to the area, as well as the vast ecosystems and biodiversity that the reefs house.
While scientists acknowledge that there are three factors that may have helped the Great Barrier Reefs recover from bleaching, they also credit the coastal protection for its role in preserving the natural environment of the coral, so it had the proper strength to regenerate.
The three factors that may have saved the reefs from a scientific point of view, as outlined by Dr. Diaz-Pulido of the Centre for Marine Study in Queensland are: the efficient fragment rejuvenation of coral tissue that survived, the fact the coral grew faster than the seaweed, and the fact that it was a highly evolved competitive coral variety.
El Nino in 1998 is the first time that reefs have shown an ability to asexually reproduce and rebuild after a destructive force hits them.
Reefs bring in about 30 billion each year throughout the world via the tourism industry, fishing industry, and coastal protection employees.
Scientists are concerned that more coral reefs will be threatened as CO2 emissions rise in the coming years and due to the effects of coral change.
20% of the global coral reefs have already been destroyed as a result of environmental changes.
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