The Status and Future of Coral Reefs in the Indian Ocean

摘要

Despite slow and patchy recovery from the 1998 massive bleaching and mortality event, reefs throughout the Indian Ocean continue to be degraded by coral mining, destructive fishing practices, overexploitation, pollution and sedimentation. The reason for this is a combination of ineffective laws and regulations, lack of or insufficient enforcement and lack of political will. Considerable changes have occurred in the coral community composition in reefs in South Asia, Indian Ocean Islands and East Africa since the 1998 bleaching. Before the bleaching these reefs were dominated by Acropora-species. During the last years other species (e.g. Porites) now occur more commonly. The impacts of the tsunami waves of December 2004 were severe in some reef areas in Sri Lanka and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. There was more damage to reefs and to adjacent coastlines in areas where coral mining had been more widespread than in areas where no mining had taken place. Alternative livelihood programs in India and Sri Lanka have been successful and improved the standard of living among fisher families. The success of these new income generating activities have stimulated community based initiatives to stop coral mining and start reef rehabilitation programs in India.