We visited the same island in North Ari Atoll in the Maldives in late 2014 and late 2016. Between our first and second visits, exceptionally high sea temperatures in early 2016 triggered a coral bleaching event. I was shocked by the change I saw on the reefs in the area compared to a previous visit. Vibrant colours are replaced by browns and greens as algae colonise the skeletons of the dead corals.
This sequence of photos compares similar scenes from 2014 and 2016. I have paired what I believe are the same or similar coral species.
Plates of coral retain their abandoned structures but fill with debris
