Indonesian Earthquake Killed Coral Reefs

Indonesian Earthquake Killed Coral Reefs



   
April 2007 -   A massive death 
of corals resulting from an earthquake off Aceh, Indonesia on 
March 28, 2005 was just discovered by scientists two years 
after the upheaval. They found that an entire island heaved 
more than a meter upwards, exposing and killing corals in 
unprecedented numbers. 
Last month, scientists from the Wildlife Conservation 
Society's Indonesia Program and the Australian Research 
Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, ARCCoERS, 
first investigated the condition of coral reefs off the 
province of Aceh on the island of Sumatra. 
In surveys that covered 35 sites along 600 kilometers (372 
miles) of coastline, the scientists documented, for the first 
time, the effects of earthquake uplift on coral reefs. 
Dr. Stuart Campbell, coordinator of the Wildlife Conservation 
Society Indonesia Marine Program says, "This is a story of 
mass mortality on a scale rarely observed. In contrast to 
other threats like coral bleaching, none of the corals 
uplifted by the earthquake have survived." 
The entire island of Simeulue, with a perimeter of 300 
kilometers (186 miles), was raised up to 1.2 meters (3.9 feet) 
following the March 2005 earthquake, exposing most of the 
coral reefs which ringed the island. Researcher finds an 
uprooted coral reef on the island of 
Simeulue, Indonesia. 
Dr. Andrew Baird of ARCCoERS says, "Amazingly, the uplifted 
corals are so well preserved we could still identify each 
species, despite these colonies having been exposed for two 
years. Some species suffered up to 100 percent loss at some 
sites, and different species now dominate the shallow reef." 
"This is a unique opportunity to document a process that 
occurs maybe once a century and promises to provide new 
insights into coral recovery processes that until now we could 
only explore on fossil reefs" says Baird. 
Campbell adds, "The news from Simeulue is not all bad. At many 
sites, the worst affected species are beginning to re-colonize 
the shallow reef areas. The reefs appear to be returning to 
what they looked like before the earthquake, although the 
process may take many years. 
"The challenge now is to work with local communities and 
government agencies to protect these reefs to environment newsure the 
recovery process continues," he says. 
The team found coral reefs ranging from diverse assemblages of 
branching corals in sheltered waters to vast areas of table 
corals inhabiting surf zones. 
The team also documented, for the first time in Indonesia, 
extenvironment newsive damage to reefs caused by the crown-of-thorn 
starfish, a coral predator that has devastated reefs in 
Australia and other parts of the world. Crown-of-thorn starfish
 and a recently eaten coral 
"Finding the starfish damage is particularly important," says 
Baird. "Most observers would attribute damage on this scale to 
more common reef threats in Indonesia such as cyanide fishing 
or bleaching. 
"People monitoring Indonesian corals reefs now have another 
threat to watch out for, and not all reef damage should be 
immediately attributed to human influences," he says. 
Many other reefs in the area continue to be damaged by 
destructive fishing including bombing and the use of cyanide 
although these practices are now illegal in Indonesia. 
Dr. Campbell says, "While reef condition in southwestern Aceh 
is generally poor, we have found some reefs in excellent 
condition as well as and evidence of recovery at damaged 
sites." 
Campbell and Baird are hopeful that coral reefs in this remote 
region can return to their previous condition and provide 
local communities with the resources they need to prosper. 
The scientists say recovery would be enhanced by management 
that encourages sustainable uses of these ecosystems and the 
protection of critical habitats and species. 
The Wildlife Conservation Society is based at New York's Bronx 
Zoo. Its Indonesia program is headquartered at Bogor, Java. 
The Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral 
Reef Studies, supported by the government of Australia, is 
based at James Cook University in Townsville, Queenvironment newsland 
adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef. 

---