Scientists say coral reefs on a tiny island in the South Pacific have shown incredible resilience and recovery from a recent but very severe disturbance: a volcanic eruption that created a new island.
Hunga Tonga – Hunga Ha’apai was (until October this year) the newest island on Earth. It was a result of a massive 2015 volcanic eruption in the middle of the South Pacific that, over a period of two weeks, created a new island more than 200 metres high.
Lead author Patrick Smallhorn-West is a PhD candidate at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University (Coral CoE at JCU) and a National Geographic Explorer. He and a team of scientists surveyed the effects of the eruption on the coral reefs around the island.
“Coral reefs are increasingly compromised by multiple stressors, even in the most remote locations,” Mr Smallhorn-West said.
Read more at ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies
Image: Recovery from severe disturbances is likely to decline as the frequency and severity of man-made disturbances continues to increase. (Credit: Tom Bridge)