OPINION | The ocean is running a fever. El Niño has arrived, and forecasters expect it to strengthen, with a chance of becoming a “super” El Niño.
For the Maldives, the consequences could extend far beyond warmer seas. Coral reefs absorb wave energy before it reaches our islands, support the baitfish that sustain pole-and-line tuna fishing and underpin the tourism industry.
The country has seen what a powerful El Niño can do. In 1998, coral mortality reached up to 98% in some parts of the Maldives. Another major bleaching event followed in 2016.
But the forecast also provides an early warning. The Maldives Coral Institute argues that there is still time to give the country’s reefs a better chance, from intensifying reef monitoring and restoration to imposing a moratorium on reclamation and dredging during the coming hot season, when sediment could place further pressure on heat-stressed corals.
Cutting global emissions remains the larger challenge. But there are decisions the Maldives can make now to reduce local pressures on its reefs before temperatures peak.
Read the full op-ed by the Maldives Coral Institute: https://maldivesindependent.com/opinion/the-super-el-nio-is-coming-for-our-corals-df15
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