Coral bleaching alert for the Western Indian Ocean

The NOAA hotspot maps highlights regions where the Sea Surface Temperature (SST) is currently warmer than the highest climatological monthly mean SST for that location. The HotSpot value of 1.0 °C is a threshold for thermal stress leading to coral bleaching. To highlight this threshold, HotSpot values below 1.0 °C are shown in purple, and HotSpots of 1.0 °C or greater range from yellow to red.

The CORDIO/IUCN working group on Climate Change and Coral Reefs have issued a bleaching alert for a moderate level of bleaching in the Seychelles:

The southeast monsoon in the WIO has set in early even before the end of march, dissipating the hotspot rapidly on the east African coast, but it persist over Seychelles granitic islands. No new or intensification of bleaching/mortality for East Africa though more may yet occur in Seychelles.

Field observations of bleaching and in some cases mortality have been reported in Kenya, Zanzibar, Madagascar & Comoros as follows, with more updates as we hear them:

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