Changes in living coral coverage before and after the 1998 bleaching event on coral reef flats of Ishigaki Island, Ryukyu Islands

Abstract

Changes in living coral coverage along five transects on Shiraho reef and one transect on Kabira reef, Ishigaki Island, Ryukyu Islands were investigated before and after the 1998 bleaching event. The coverage of living corals after the bleaching decreased by 50% of their original values. Branching types of Montipora, Acropora and Porites were most severely bleached and their mortality was also high. Bleaching was intermediate to high for massive Porites whose recovery was better than branching corals. Heliopora coerulea was less susceptible to bleaching and mortality was low. Higher than 30°C sea surface temperature prevailed over the south sea of Japan, which induced higher than 30°C reef water temperature on the coral reef flat and resulted in coral bleaching.