Abstract
During the summer of 2017 we visited 33 sites with substantial coral cover across Hong Kong waters. At six sites where coral bleaching was observed, video-transect surveys were conducted, which revealed 18.7% to 56.1% bleached colonies and 5.9% to 57.6% bleached coral covered area per site. Mainly affected were three plate-like and three massive coral species. Water quality parameters were analyzed, which indicated that hyposalinity might have triggered the bleaching event. Tagging and follow-up field observation revealed a pattern of recovery depending on coral growth form, with high recovery rates (>93%) at five sites dominated by massive and submassive corals, but moderate (70%) at a site dominated by plate-like corals. Our study shows that the corals of Hong Kong exhibit differential susceptibility to bleaching and ability to recover, therefore it is imperative to establish a long-term monitoring programme to detect the changes in community structure over time. Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Article number | 110950 |
Journal | Marine Pollution Bulletin |
Volume | 153 |
Early online date | Feb 2020 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Apr 2020 |
Citation
Xie, J. Y., Yeung, Y. H., Kwok, C. K., Kei, K., Ang, P., Chan, L. L., . . . Qiu, J.-W. (2020). Localized bleaching and quick recovery in Hong Kong's coral communities. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 153. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.110950Keywords
- Coral community
- Coral health
- Hyposalinity
- Global warming
- South China Sea