Their analyses have revealed for the first time that these are highly predictable events that can seriously impact the state of coral reefs at a time when they are preparing for the stresses of summer. In a paper published in scientific journal Marine Biology, Dr Ken Anthony and Dr Ailsa Kerswell, of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (CoECRS) at The University of Queensland (UQ) and James Cook University (JCU) have revealed that extreme low tides on clear sunny days can lead to widespread damage of coastal coral colonies.
“Really low tides, where the local sea level gets to its extreme low for the year, can occur at different times of the day,” UQ’s Dr Anthony said.
“In years where this occurs during the middle of the day when the sunlight is at its most intense and the reefs are almost fully exposed, there is a real risk of severe coral stress and death in the shallow reef zone.”
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