Maldivian corals survived the tsunami

THE GREAT CORAL REEF (Australia) – A team of Marine Science divers from major Australian universities inspected the Maldives coral reef to detect the status of the coral, almost three months after the tsunami of 26 December. After examining 124 coral reefs in 7 different atolls, covering about 170 km of barrier and collecting up-to-date information on 65 locations where scuba diving is done for tourists, the researchers concluded that the impact of the waves was not only minimal on the barrier, but also on the marine fauna. Only the corals present in the St Anne Marine Park suffered slight damage for 27% of their total extension. “It is good news not only for tourism but also for the fishing industry, since there have been minimal changes in the conditions of the barrier, “said Alexander Downer, Australian Foreign Minister. This survey could give new impetus to tourism in serious crisis. The conditions of the coral reefs in other areas of the Indian Ocean that were affected by the tsunami are somewhat different. In the north Sumatra region, 30% of the reef has been severely damaged, while 12% of corals have suffered severe damage near the Andaman Islands. The problems have been caused in part by the strength of the waves that are broken when approaching the land and partly by the material, above all diesel and sand, dragged by the return of the water towards the open sea.

March 17 2005