Nearshore Turbid-Zone Corals Exhibit High Bleaching Tolerance on the Great Barrier Reef Following the 2016 Ocean Warming Event

Nearshore turbid-zone corals on the Great Barrier Reef exhibit remarkable resilience to thermal stress, showing no significant changes in coral cover or community structure following the severe 2015/2016 ocean warming event. Unlike offshore reefs, where bleaching was widespread and mortality high, nearshore corals at Paluma Shoals displayed minimal bleaching, with only one colony fully bleached and just 1.5% showing partial pigmentation loss. This tolerance contrasts sharply with clear-water reef assessments, where Acropora corals—typically highly susceptible to bleaching—were least impacted in turbid zones. The study utilized a novel pre- (2013/2014) and post-warming (2016) assessment of 2,288 video frames covering ~1,200 m², including 11,374 coral colonies across 24 genera. These findings suggest that nearshore reefs, often overlooked, may serve as critical refugia for corals during climate-related disturbances, offering a more optimistic outlook than previously assumed.

Morgan, K. M., Perry, C. T., Johnson, J. A., & Smithers, S. G. (2017). Nearshore Turbid-Zone Corals Exhibit High Bleaching Tolerance on the Great Barrier Reef Following the 2016 Ocean Warming Event. Frontiers in Marine Science, 4. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2017.00224