KOROR, Palau — A new study by researchers at the Palau International Coral Reef Center (PICRC) and Newcastle University reveals differing recovery rates for coral populations on Palauan reefs following typhoons Bopha and Haiyan in 2012 and 2013.
The research, published in the journal Coral Reefs, examined the recovery of three common branching coral genera – Acropora, Pocillopora, and Stylophora – on Ngetngod reef, which was completely stripped of corals by the storms.
The study found that Pocillopora colonies rebounded the fastest, exceeding pre-typhoon levels by 2020. Acropora populations also recovered in terms of density, but remained dominated by smaller colonies, indicating a slower demographic recovery.
This difference is attributed to the corals’ life history: Pocillopora spawns year-round, while Acropora has only one annual spawning event. The study suggests it takes around four years for Pocillopora to recover, while Acropora requires more than eight years.
The research also highlights the benefits of demographic monitoring, which tracks individual coral size, over traditional methods that solely measure coral cover. This method, coupled with new automated analysis tools, can provide earlier and more detailed insights into coral reef health and recovery.
This work showcases the importance of long-term monitoring data to understand how coral populations can recover after acute disturbances like storms or mass coral bleaching.
The findings underscore the need for diverse conservation strategies to address the increasing threats coral reefs face due to climate change and other stressors.