Coral Reef Extent Around Remote Lau Islands (Fiji) Down 50% 2000 - 2006 - Bleaching, Starfish

[hatrack]

Climate change and a starfish outbreak have shrunk coral reefs near Fiji, forcing locals to change their lifestyle.

A new study, published in Global Change Biology, has found that from 2000-2006 the size of coral reefs around Fiji's remote Lau Islands contracted by about 50 percent.

Dr Nick Graham from James Cook University, who took part in the study, says fishing and habitat disturbance are having a big impact. "The area was disturbed by a crown of thorns starfish outbreak in about 2000 and then, the subsequent year, there was also a coral bleaching event associated with climate change," Graham said.

"We were pretty shocked at just how severe the impact was." He said so-called "bottom up" pressure from habitat changes was reducing the number of small fish, while "top down" pressure, from fishing, reduced the availability of larger fish.

EDIT

http://www.odt.co.nz/news/world/33138/fiji-reefs-hit-climate-change