Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Differential bleaching of corals based on El Niño type and intensity in the Andaman Sea, southeast Bay of Bengal

  • Published:
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The Andaman coral reef region experienced mass bleaching events during 1998 and 2010. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of the El Niño in the coral reef bleaching events of the Andaman region. Both Niño 3.4 and 3 indices were examined to find out the relationship between the mass bleaching events and El Niño, and correlated with sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the Andaman Sea. The result shows that abnormal warming and mass bleaching events in the Andaman Sea were seen only during strong El Niño years of 1997–1998 and 2009–2010. The Andaman Sea SST was more elevated and associated with El Niño Modoki (central Pacific El Niño) than conventional El Niño (eastern Pacific El Niño) occurrences. It is suggested that the development of hot spot patterns around the Andaman Islands during May 1998 and April–May 2010 may be attributed to zonal shifts in the Walker circulation driven by El Niño during the corresponding period.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ashok, K., & Yamagata, T. (2009). Climate Change: The El Niño with a difference. Nature, 461, 481–484.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Baker, A. C., Glynn, P. W., & Riegl, B. (2008). Climate change and coral reef bleaching: an ecological assessment of long-term impacts, recovery trends and future outlook. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 80, 435–471.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, B. E. (1997). Coral bleaching: causes and consequences. Coral Reefs, 16, S129–S138.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Donner, S. D. (2005). Global assessment of coral bleaching and required rates of adaptation under climate change. Global Change Biology, 11, 2251–2265.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • English, S., Wilkinson, C., & Baker, V. (1997). Survey manual for tropical resources. Australian Institute of Marine Sciences, Townsville, Australia, 2nd edition, pp.390.

  • Glynn, P. W. (1991). Coral reef bleaching in the 1980s and possible connections with global warming. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 6, 175–179.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Glynn, P. W. (1993). Coral reef bleaching: ecological perspectives. Coral Reefs, 12, 1–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goreau, T. J., Hayes, R. L., Clark, J.W., Basta, D. J., & Robertson, C. N. (1993). Elevated sea surface temperatures correlate with Caribbean coral reef bleaching, in: Geyer, R. A. (Ed), A global warming forum: Scientific, Economic, and Legal Overview, CRC press, Boca Raton, pp. 225–255.

  • Goreau, T. J., & Hayes, R. L. (1994). Coral bleaching and ocean “HotSpots”. Ambio, 23, 176–180.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoegh-Guldberg, O. (1999). Climate change, coral bleaching and the future of the world’s coral reefs. Marine Fresh Water Research, 50, 839–866.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoegh-Guldberg, O., & Salvat, B. (1995). Periodic mass bleaching and elevated sea temperature: bleaching of outer reef slope communities in Moorea, French Polynesia. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 121, 181–190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoegh-Guldberg, O., Mumby, P. J., Hooten, A. J., Steneck, R. S., Greenfield, P., Gomez, E., Harvell, C. D., Sale, P. F., Edwards, A. J., Caldeira, K., Knowlton, N., Eakin, C. M., Iglesias-Prieto, R., Muthiga, N., Bradbury, R. H., Dubi, A., & Hatziolos, M. E. (2007). Coral reefs under rapid climate change and ocean acidification. Science, 318, 1737–1742.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Huges, T. P., Baird, A. H., Bellwood, D. R., Card, M., Connolly, S. R., Folke, C., Grosberg, R., Hoegh-Guldberg, O., Jackson, J. B. C., Kleypas, J., Lough, J. M., Marshall, P., Nystrom, M., Palumbi, S. R., Pandolfi, J. M., Rosen, B., & Roughgarden, J. (2003). Climate change, human impacts and resilience of coral reefs. Science, 301, 929–933.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jokiel, P. L., & Coles, S. L. (1990). Responses of Hawaiian and other Indo-Pacific reef corals to elevated temperature. Coral Reefs, 8, 155–162.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klein, S. A., Soden, B. J., & Lau, N. (1999). Remote sea surface temperature variations during ENSO: evidence for a tropical atmospheric bridge. Journal of Climate, 12, 917–932.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krishnan, P., Dam Roy, S., George, G., Srivastava, R. C., Anand, A., Murugesan, S., Kaliyamoorthy, M., Vikas, N., & Soundararajan, R. (2011). Elevated sea surface temperature during May 2010 induces mass bleaching of corals in the Andaman. Current Science, 100, 111–117.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, T., & Mc Phaden, M. J. (2010). Increasing intensity of El Niño in the central equatorial Pacific. Geophysical Research Letters, 37, doi: 10.1029/2010 GL044007.

  • Liu, G., Strong, A. E., & Skirving, W. (2003). Remote sensing of sea surface temperature during 2002 Barrier Reef coral bleaching. Eos, 84, 137–144.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacKellar, M. C., & McGowan, H. A. (2010). Air-sea energy exchanges measured by eddy covariance during a localised coral bleaching event, Heron Reef, Great Barrier reef, Australia. Geophysical Research Letters, 37, doi: 10.1029/2010GL045291.

  • McGowan, H. A., Sturman, A. P., MacKellar, M. C., Wiebe, A. H., Neil, D. T. (2010). Measurements of the local energy balance over a coral reef flat, Heron Island, southern Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Journal of geophysical research, 115, doi: 10.1029/2010JD014218.

  • Mc Phaden, M. J., Lee, T., & Mc Clurg, D. (2011). El Nino and its relationship to changing background conditions in the tropical pacific Ocean. Geophysical Research Letters, 38, doi: 10.1029/2011GL048275.

  • Miller, M. W., Piniak, G. A., & Williams, D. E. (2011). Coral mass bleaching and reef temperatures at Navassa Island, 2006. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 91, 42–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mohanty, P. C., Mahendra, R. S., Bisoyi, H., Tummula, S. K., Grinson, G., Nayak, S., & Sahu, B. K. (2013). Assessment of the coral bleaching during 2005 to decipher the thermal stress in the coral environs of the Andaman Island using remote sensing. European Journal of Remote Sensing, 46, 417–430.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pet-Soede, L., Wafar, M., Venkataraman, K., Rajan, P. T., & Wilhelmsson, D. (2000). The status of the coral reefs of India following the bleaching event of 1998, in: Souter, D., Obura, D. & Linden, O. (Ed.), Coral reef Degradation in the Indian Ocean, status report 2000, CORDIO, SAREC Marine science Program, Stockholm University, Sweden, pp. 69–74

  • Rajasuriya, A., Maizan, H. M., Subramaniam, B. R., & Jason, R. (1999). Coral reef ecosystems in South Asia. Coral reef degradation in the Indian Ocean: Status reports and project presentations 1999, pp. 10–23.

  • Ravindran, J., Raghukumar, C., & Raghukumar, S. (1998). Disease and stress-induced mortality of corals in Indian reefs and observations on bleaching of corals in the Andamans. Current Science, 76, 233–236.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roy, S. D., Krishnan, P., & George Grinson. (2006). Assessment of coral reef health using satellite data, in: Srivastava, R. C., Ganesh Kumar, B., Jayakumar, V., Domodaran, T., Ravisankar, N., Jeyakumar, S., George Grinson, & Tomar Simmi, (Ed.), Annual report 2005–06. Central Agricultural Research Institute, Port Blair, pp73–74.

  • Roy, S. D., George, G., Soundararajan, R., Krishnan, P., Murugesan, S., & Kaliyamoorthy, M. (2014). Status of coral reefs in Andaman after two major catastrophic events—tsunami of December 2004 and bleaching of May 2005. Ecology Environment and Conservation, 20, 539–544.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sebens, K. P. (1994). Biodiversity of coral reefs: what are we using and why? American Zoologist, 34, 115–133.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sengupta, D., & Ravichandran, M. (2001). Oscillations of Bay Of Bengal sea surface temperature during the 1998 summer monsoon. Geophysical Research Letters, 28, 2033–2036.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sheppard, C. R. C. (2003). Predicted recurrences of mass coral mortality in the Indian Ocean. Nature, 425, 294–297.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stone, L., Huppert, A., Rajagopalan, B., Bhasin, H., & Loya, Y. (1999). Mass coral reef bleaching: a recent outcome of increased El Niño activity? Ecology Letters, 2, 325–330.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tun, K., Chou, L. M., Low, J., Yeemin, T., Phongsuwan, N., Setiasich, N., Wilson, J., Amri, A. Y., Abdul Adzis, K. A., Lane, D., Bochove, J. V., Kluskens, B., Long, N. V., Tuan, V. S., & Gomez, E. (2010). Status of Coral reefs in East Asian Seas region: 2010. A regional overview on the 2010 coral bleaching event in Southeast Asia, Ministry of the Environment, Japan, Chapter 1.1, pp. 9–26.

  • Vivekanandan, E., Ali, M. H., Jasper, B., & Rajagopalan, M. (2008). Thermal thresholds for coral bleaching in the Indian seas. Journal of Marine Biological Association of India, 50, 209–214.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, C., Deser, C., Yu,J. Y., DiNezio, P., & Clement, A. (2012). El Niño and Southern Oscillation (ENSO): A review. A chapter for Springer book; Coral reefs of the Eastern Pacific.

  • Wilkinson, C. (1998). Status of the coral reefs of the world: 1998. The 1997–1998 Mass bleaching event around the world, Chapter 1, pp.15-37.

  • Wilkinson, C. R. (2002). Status of coral reefs of the world: Global Coral reef monitoring network, Townsville, Australia, p. 5.

  • Wilkinson, C., Linden, O., Cesar, H., Hodgson, G., Rubens, J., & Strong, A. E. (1999). Ecological and socioeconomic impacts of 1998 coral mortality in the Indian Ocean: an ENSO impact and a warning of future change? Ambio, 28, 188–196.

    Google Scholar 

  • Winter, A., Appeldoorn, R. S., Bruckner, A., Williams, E. H., & Goenaga, C. (1998). Sea surface temperatures and coral reef bleaching off La Parguera, Puerto Rico (northeastern Caribbean Sea). Coral Reefs, 17, 377–382.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • World Meteorological Organization, (2010). 2010 in the top three warmest years, 2001–2010 warmest 10-year period. http://www.wmo.int/pages/mediacentre/press_releases/pr_904_en.html

  • Yeh, S. W., Kug, J. S., Dewitte, B., Kirtman, B. P., & Jin, F. F. (2009). Recent changes in El Niño and its projection under global warming. Nature, 461, 511–515.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yu, J. Y., Kao, H. Y. (2007). Decadal changes of ENSO persistence barrier in SST and ocean heat content indices: 1958–2001. Journal of Geophysical Research, 112, doi: 10/1029/2006JD007654.

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Govt. of India, for funding this project and the members of the National Expert committee for evolving the National Data Buoy programme. We also thank the staff of the Ocean Observation Systems Group of NIOT. We express our gratitude to the Department of Environment and Forest, Andaman & Nicobar Administration and Andaman & Nicobar Centre for Ocean Science and Technology-Ocean Science and Technology for Islands of NIOT. The authors would like to acknowledge Scientists and Director, Central Agricultural Research Institute, Port Blair for their inputs on coral studies. Help rendered in by Rahul G Kumar, NBFGR Unit, Kochi is acknowledged.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute of Ocean Technology, Chennai, 600 100, India

    J. K. Lix, R. Venkatesan, R. R. Rao, Muthiah M. Arul, G. Vengatesan, S. Ramasundaram, R. Sundar & M. A. Atmanand

  2. Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi, 682 016, India

    J. K. Lix

  3. Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi, 682 018, India

    George Grinson

  4. Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, 411 008, India

    R. R. Rao

  5. National Institute of Oceanography, Kochi, 682 018, India

    V. K. Jineesh

Authors
  1. J. K. Lix
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. R. Venkatesan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. George Grinson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. R. R. Rao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. V. K. Jineesh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Muthiah M. Arul
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. G. Vengatesan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. S. Ramasundaram
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. R. Sundar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. M. A. Atmanand
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. K. Lix.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Lix, J.K., Venkatesan, R., Grinson, G. et al. Differential bleaching of corals based on El Niño type and intensity in the Andaman Sea, southeast Bay of Bengal. Environ Monit Assess 188, 175 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-016-5176-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-016-5176-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation