https://padlet.com/de178614/ik08y2o7ae1d Coral Bleaching Caused by El Niños is Threatening the Reefs in the Maldives en-us 2018-02-14 21:21:35 UTC 2018-02-16 21:23:38 UTC hello@padlet.com de178614 https://padlet.com/de178614/ik08y2o7ae1d/wish/231730096    The Maldives are a group of islands southwest of Sri Lanka. The coral atolls form islands and reefs in a ring. The size of this ring is about  21,370 km² . 
     Both hard and soft corals are found in this area, but hard corals are the best observed type of coral there. Many types of sharks and rays live in the area, including whale sharks and eagle rays. The Maldives are also home to dolphins, sea turtles, moray eels (like the giant moray eel), soldierfish, squirrelfish, 3 species of lionfish, many species of goatfish, batfish,  the moorish idol (one of the fish in Finding Nemo), many species of grouper, many species of butterflyfish (such as the raccoon butterflyfish), angelfish (including the emperor angelfish), the Maldivian clownfish, the great barracuda, many species of damselfish, many species of wrasse, a variety of parrotfish, surgeonfish, triggerfish (including the Picasso and Clown triggerfish), many types of pufferfish, and invertebrates such as seastars, urchins, clams, the day octopus, cone snails, the banded cleaner/coral shrimp, and sea cucumbers.
The built up coral creates a huge habitat for many reef species and protects the tiny islands they surround from erosion.]]> 2018-02-14 21:38:33 UTC https://padlet.com/de178614/ik08y2o7ae1d/wish/231730096 de178614 https://padlet.com/de178614/ik08y2o7ae1d/wish/232165575 The Maldives are home to the whale shark, a gentle giant.]]> 2018-02-15 21:31:07 UTC https://padlet.com/de178614/ik08y2o7ae1d/wish/232165575 de178614 https://padlet.com/de178614/ik08y2o7ae1d/wish/232165987 2018-02-15 21:32:22 UTC https://padlet.com/de178614/ik08y2o7ae1d/wish/232165987 de178614 https://padlet.com/de178614/ik08y2o7ae1d/wish/232167550 The biggest chunk of the Maldives economy is tourism, followed closely by fishing. The gorgeous, clear waters, small coral beaches, and giant reefs make this nation a tourism hotspot. Most of the fishing done here is for tuna by line because fishing by net is illegal here.]]> 2018-02-15 21:37:43 UTC https://padlet.com/de178614/ik08y2o7ae1d/wish/232167550 de178614 https://padlet.com/de178614/ik08y2o7ae1d/wish/232169409 Currently, El Niños are this reef's biggest threat. These weather patterns have caused several coral bleaching events in the past few years. Reef fisheries and coral mining also used to be threats to the reef, but legislation is now in effect that limits these industries. The introduction of concrete has also helped reduce coral mining.]]> 2018-02-15 21:44:09 UTC https://padlet.com/de178614/ik08y2o7ae1d/wish/232169409 de178614 https://padlet.com/de178614/ik08y2o7ae1d/wish/232172918 The Maldives have had many coral bleaching events in recent years. El Niños are the main cause.]]> 2018-02-15 21:56:44 UTC https://padlet.com/de178614/ik08y2o7ae1d/wish/232172918 de178614 https://padlet.com/de178614/ik08y2o7ae1d/wish/232198039 New projects are underway to propagate coral in the Maldives.]]> 2018-02-16 00:19:50 UTC https://padlet.com/de178614/ik08y2o7ae1d/wish/232198039 de178614 https://padlet.com/de178614/ik08y2o7ae1d/wish/232198321 This is one fish of the Maldives that takes on a physical transformation from leaf-like juveniles hiding in lagoons and mangroves to reef-going adults.]]> 2018-02-16 00:22:33 UTC https://padlet.com/de178614/ik08y2o7ae1d/wish/232198321 de178614 https://padlet.com/de178614/ik08y2o7ae1d/wish/232199442 Lionfish are one of the aggressive fish in the maldives. Although they aren't often stumbled upon, divers should fear their sting.]]> 2018-02-16 00:30:42 UTC https://padlet.com/de178614/ik08y2o7ae1d/wish/232199442 de178614 https://padlet.com/de178614/ik08y2o7ae1d/wish/232200523 Brain corals of the Maldives can live for hundreds of years and grow to gigantic sizes.]]> 2018-02-16 00:39:59 UTC https://padlet.com/de178614/ik08y2o7ae1d/wish/232200523 de178614 https://padlet.com/de178614/ik08y2o7ae1d/wish/232202582 2018-02-16 00:55:24 UTC https://padlet.com/de178614/ik08y2o7ae1d/wish/232202582 de178614 https://padlet.com/de178614/ik08y2o7ae1d/wish/232203339 The Maldives government has prohibited anchoring, fishing with nets, coral mining, dumping pollutants, and fishing for sharks in the Maldives. The Maldives is very protective of its reefs because the majority of their economy is based on ecotourism. Part of this reef is a Marine Protected Area. Since much of the coral in the Maldives has been suffering from bleaching, coral propagation projects in more suitable location for coral growth are underway.]]> 2018-02-16 01:01:48 UTC https://padlet.com/de178614/ik08y2o7ae1d/wish/232203339 de178614 https://padlet.com/de178614/ik08y2o7ae1d/wish/232204704 2018-02-16 01:14:10 UTC https://padlet.com/de178614/ik08y2o7ae1d/wish/232204704 de178614 https://padlet.com/de178614/ik08y2o7ae1d/wish/232205353 2018-02-16 01:20:03 UTC https://padlet.com/de178614/ik08y2o7ae1d/wish/232205353 de178614 https://padlet.com/de178614/ik08y2o7ae1d/wish/232205721 2018-02-16 01:23:17 UTC https://padlet.com/de178614/ik08y2o7ae1d/wish/232205721 de178614 https://padlet.com/de178614/ik08y2o7ae1d/wish/232515932 The Maldives has its own species of clownfish, also known as an anemone fish ]]> 2018-02-16 21:07:18 UTC https://padlet.com/de178614/ik08y2o7ae1d/wish/232515932