Does the protection afforded by a large no-take Marine Protected Area provide any resistance to coral bleaching and/or subsequent mortality?

During 2015-2016 the Chagos Archipelago (central Indian Ocean) was subject to prolonged increases in sea surface temperatures (SSTs) above the regional bleaching threshold of -30.9oC from late-March to mid-May for two... [ view full abstract ]

During 2015-2016 the Chagos Archipelago (central Indian Ocean) was subject to prolonged increases in sea surface temperatures (SSTs) above the regional bleaching threshold of -30.9^oC from late-March to mid-May for two consecutive years. Here we begin by presenting the extent and spatial heterogeneity of bleaching induced by these high SSTs, and the resulting mortality across the Archipelago. The Chagos Archipelago’s reefs have proven resilient to climate change impacts in the past, recovering from heavy coral mortality following the 1998 bleaching event. This resilience is partly attributed to the lack of direct human stressors on the reefs, including an absence of reef fisheries, afforded by the uninhabited and remote nature of the Archipelago. Since 2010 the Archipelago has been a no-take MPA, however, whether the MPA and the area’s uninhabited nature provides a degree of resistance to bleaching and/or potential mortality has not been tested until now. The second half of our presentation will focus on comparing the bleaching responses within the Chagos MPA to other remote, but unprotected, western Indian Ocean locations. This enables us to disentangle the effects of the Chagos MPA on coral bleaching from any effects caused by remoteness.