Rob Payne
Source: ScienceNetwork
November 25, 2011

"A RECENT study published in CSIRO's Marine & Freshwater Research reveals isolated reefs may have a better ability to regenerate compared to those closer to human activity.

The study focussed on WA's Ashmore Reef, located on the north-west shelf, which is home to 275 species, making it one of the most diverse coral systems in the region.

Like many reefs in the Indian Ocean, it experienced severe bleaching in 1998 and 2003, resulting in extensive damage to its coral cover.

Researchers approached the study expecting to find little change between field results from 2006 and 2009, hypothesising that isolated coral systems would recover more slowly due to limited opportunities for larval replenishment from nearby reefs."

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