2020 is ramping up to be a severe coral bleaching year, globally. Taiwan included.

The level of observed bleaching is unexpected - such widespread, across such a number of species, was not expected for ten years based on warming projections. But here we are. 1/n...

#Taiwan is also experiencing the worst bleaching event since 1998, which was a massive global bleaching event driven by an El Nino.

A month ago when snorkeling reefs of the Hengchun Peninsula we saw reefs that were colourful. Today they are splattered white - bleaching.

Coral are animals of warm water, but live dangerously close to their thermal limit - their tolerance to warming is limited. When stressed by heat, they discard their symbiotic algae (that which gives them colour) leaving them white. Bleached coral is still, at this point alive.

Prolonged heating will result in death; soon the bleached coral will be covered with another algae, non symbiotic, and it will be gone. The dead, bleached-white algae covered calcium carbonate rock will persist, a skeletal memory of the coral that was.

Coral ecologists have documented bleaching throughout Taiwan - Lanyu, Green Island, Penghu, and all reefs around Taiwan proper. Even in Chu Shui Kou, the outlet of the nuclear plant in Kenting where corals have been exposed to artificial heating for generations, is bleaching.

Even species expected to be hearty (resilient) and last to bleach (i.e. higher thermal tolerance) are bleaching. This is one such example, Porites lutea.

This summer will be important for Taiwan's reefs. With continued heating & few typhoons, we may face a dangerous future.

All photos above were from Wanlitong and Outlet (Chushuikou) in Pingdong, Taiwan.

-fin-