EPA asks to suspend dredging projects to slow coral bleaching
To increase the survival rate of corals, it is important to minimise other factors that damage corals such as dredging and pollution.
By
Aminath Shifleen
Developmental projects related to dredging have been suspended due to rising sea temperatures causing coral bleaching.
As of May 2, 2024, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coral Reef Watch's bleaching alert level for the Maldives is "warning," at alert level 1. The Maldives Marine Research Institute (MMRI) predicts that the alert levels will rise in the coming weeks.
Therefore, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a press release on Thursday evening saying that measures will be taken from early this month to early next month.
The steps are:
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All land reclamation projects should be suspended for the time being
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Stop the use of heavy machinery such as dredgers, beach development, bandwall, sand pumping, pipeline laying and cable laying on the reefs
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Such ongoing projects and EIAs should be postponed until June 10
Corals expel the algae living in their tissues when water temperatures are too high, which is called coral bleaching. The algae, called zooxanthellae, give corals their colour and food, and the two organisms have a mutually beneficial relationship. When the coral expels the algae, it turns completely white.
While bleaching does not kill the coral directly, it is under more stress as it whitens, and is less resistant to other threats such as disease and is thus subject to death. Corals can recover from bleaching if the temperatures drop. Once the temperature drops to the right level, the algae will return, and the corals will gradually regain their health.
To increase the survival rate of corals, it is important to minimise other factors that damage corals. Some of the things that expose corals to mortality are:
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Littering in the sea
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Sea pollution
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Land reclamation
