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Cross section of a coral reef in the Maldives. Most atolls of the Maldives consist of a large, ring-shaped coral reef supporting numerous small islands. Islands average only one to two square kilometers in area, and lie between 1–1.5 m (3 ft 3 in – 4 ft 11 in) above mean sea level. [1]
Maldivian coral reefs are home to the richest diversity in the region and are the seventh largest in the world, accounting for 5% of the world's reef area. The coral reefs support a high diversity of reef animals, including approximately 250 species of corals (stony and soft corals) and 1,200 reef and reef-associated fish species, a population ...
The ecoregion is made up of low islands made mostly of coral sand, generally no more than 5 meters above sea level, and surrounded by extensive coral reefs.The islands rest on the Chagos–Laccadive Ridge, an oceanic ridge and plateau, and extend 2,550 km north and south across the equator, from latitude 14º N to 8º S. Lakshadweep lies to the north, 300 km west of India's southwest coast.
The coral fragment from the seafloor off the coast of the resort Siyam World Maldives in the Noonu Atoll had a stark contrast. One inch of the coral’s light brown tips was bumpy with living ...
The southernmost Atoll of the Maldives, Addu Atoll, is not visible on the image. 1814 map of 'The Maldiva Islands' by Captain James Horsburgh. The Maldives are formed by 20 natural atolls , along with a few islands and isolated reefs today which form a pattern stretching from 7 degrees 10′ North to 0 degrees 45′ South.
The Maldives harbors globally-significant biodiversity in its numerous reefs and demonstrates a long history of human interaction with the environment. Covering approximately 139,700 ha of coastal/marine areas, the site is representative of the Maldives’ high diversity of reef animals, with hard and soft corals, reef-associated fish species ...
The wildlife of the Maldives includes the flora and fauna of the islands, reefs, and the surrounding ocean. Recent scientific studies suggest that the fauna varies greatly between atolls following a north–south gradient, but important differences between neighbouring atolls were also found (especially in terms of sea animals), which may be ...
Again, in 2016, the coral reefs of the Maldives experienced a severe bleaching incident. Up to 95% of coral around some islands have died, and, even after six months, 100% of young coral transplants died. The surface water temperatures reached an all-time high in 2016, at 31 degrees Celsius in May. [119]