Earth Sciences

Mesophotic coral bleaching associated with changes in thermocline depth

C. Diaz, N. L. Foster, et al.

This groundbreaking study by Clara Diaz, Nicola L. Foster, Martin J. Attrill, Adam Bolton, Peter Ganderton, Kerry L. Howell, Edward Robinson, and Phil Hosegood uncovers alarming coral bleaching at mesophotic depths in the Chagos Archipelago, revealing the profound vulnerability of these ecosystems to thermal stress and the influence of oceanographic processes.

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Abstract

This study investigates coral bleaching at mesophotic depths (30–150 m) in the Chagos Archipelago. It reveals bleaching at 90 m, the deepest recorded, occurring despite the absence of shallow-water bleaching. This deep bleaching was linked to sustained thermocline deepening caused by the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) and potentially modulated by internal waves. The findings highlight the vulnerability of mesophotic coral ecosystems to thermal stress and emphasize the need for understanding oceanographic processes to predict bleaching susceptibility.

Publisher

Nature Communications

Published On

Oct 16, 2023

Authors

Clara Diaz, Nicola L. Foster, Martin J. Attrill, Adam Bolton, Peter Ganderton, Kerry L. Howell, Edward Robinson, Phil Hosegood

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