WHEN the Fiji Meteorological Service raises a Coral Bleaching Alert Level 2, it is not just a scientific update buried in a weather bulletin. It is a signal that the seas around us are under stress, and that one of the greatest natural assets underpinning what it means to be an island nation and its largest revenue earner is threatened. Alert Level 2 means widespread coral bleaching is likely, with significant coral mortality expected.
Sea surface temperatures across much of Fiji’s waters are sitting between 0.4 and two degrees Celsius above normal. That may not sound dramatic on land, but underwater, it is the difference between a thriving reef and one fighting for survival.
Original Article: Fiji - Our reefs under pressure
