MALDIVES SEES SHARP CORAL REEF DECLINE AS WARMING SEAS DRIVE BLEACHING

MALDIVES, Feb 16 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- Significant losses are being recorded across the Maldives' coral reefs, with observations from dives conducted in different years pointing to a steep drop in coral populations, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported.

Divers documenting reef conditions say the decline is closely tied to coral bleaching, a process triggered by rising sea temperatures.

In a healthy reef, microscopic algae help feed corals through photosynthesis.

But when waters warm, the algae can abandon the coral polyps, leaving corals pale, weakened and increasingly likely to die over time.

During recent dives in the North Ari Atoll, underwater footage captured not only deteriorating coral formations but also pockets of thriving marine life.

Divers reported sightings of anemones, large schools of snapper fish, hawksbill sea turtles and a dense population of moray eels in an area locally known as the "fishtank."

The contrasting scenes, fading coral structures alongside abundant fish and megafauna, underscore both the fragility and the complexity of the Maldives' reef ecosystems as ocean temperatures continue to rise.

-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU