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Bulukumba coral reefs threatened with extinction
Not OK coral: A researcher from the Marine Science Diving Club at Makassarâs Hasanuddin University photographs bleached coral of the coast of Bulukumba, South Sulawesi
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Not OK coral: A researcher from the Marine Science Diving Club at Makassarâs Hasanuddin University photographs bleached coral of the coast of Bulukumba, South Sulawesi. More than 50 percent of the coral has been bleached as a result of rising sea temperatures.(Sumarjito/Marine Science Diving Club of Hasanuddin University) (Sumarjito/Marine Science Diving Club of Hasanuddin University)
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span class="inline inline-center">Not OK coral: A researcher from the Marine Science Diving Club at Makassar's Hasanuddin University photographs bleached coral of the coast of Bulukumba, South Sulawesi. More than 50 percent of the coral has been bleached as a result of rising sea temperatures.(Sumarjito/Marine Science Diving Club of Hasanuddin University)
Coral reefs in the waters off Bulukumba, South Sulawesi are at great risk of dying off as more than half have been affected by coral bleaching caused by rising seawater temperatures.
'Based on a four-day monitoring, we found coral reef bleaching on a massive scale, at around 50 percent,' Nirwan Dessibali, coordinator of the Marine Science Diving Club of Makassar-based state-run Hasanuddin University told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
Nirwan conducted the monitoring with four colleagues who are students of the university's Maritime and Fishery School off Tanjung Bira and Liukang Island in Bulukumba regency, diving at a depth of between 3 and 10 meters.
The observation was conducted as a follow up to a release by the National Ocean Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which showed seawater temperatures in some parts of Indonesia, including the Makassar Strait, would continue rising this year.
'According to residents in the region, seawater temperatures have risen since a week before we arrived. When we conducted the observation, the seawater temperature reached 30 degrees Celsius, compared to an average of 27 degrees during normal conditions,' Nirwan said.
Besides Bulukumba, the diving club has also conducted surveys in the Spermonde archipelago in Makassar. Several of the reefs there have also been bleached, but not as extensively as in Bulukumba.
Nirwan said the bleaching of the coral was attributed to the loss of symbiotic zooxantela algae in the coral polyps due to rising seawater temperatures.
The university's Marine and Fishery School coral reef studies professor Chair Rani separately confirmed on Wednesday that if seawater temperatures kept rising in the next three weeks, the bleached coral reefs were highly likely to die as the zooxantela algae could not survive.
'The condition of coral reefs in Bulukumba is dangerous now. If seawater temperatures remain high, or above tolerable levels, the bleached coral reefs will die in a massive way. The marine biota will also be threatened,' said Chair.
The situation could lead to worse coral reef destruction in the region. Now, more than 40 percent of coral reefs in Bulukumba waters are damaged, while in South Sulawesi, the damage amounts to between 40 and 70 percent.
Besides the rising temperatures, the damage is also due to illegal fishing using explosives, poison and trawl nets, as well as sea pollution and poorly managed marine tourism.
Chair said that as well as Bulukumba, several other regions in South Sulawesi were also at risk, especially the Makassar Strait, such as the Spermonde archipelago encompassing several regencies and cities, including Makassar city, Pangkajene Islands and Selayar regencies, where the world's largest atoll, the Taka Bonerate Marine National Park, is located.
'South Sulawesi is traversed by high-temperature sea currents, but Raja Ampat in Papua is at greater risk because the area initially experienced high seawater temperatures,' he said.
Areas in Indonesia categorized in the first and second alert levels for coral bleaching include Raja Ampat.
The situation is expected to continue until the middle of this year. The seawater temperatures will reach their peak between March and April.
Chair added that if the bleached coral reefs failed to recover restoring them would take over five years due to very slow rate of coral reef growth, growing at only about 14 centimeters annually.
