The effect of coral bleaching shocks on the health of coral reefs

Coral bleaching can cause massive coral mortality.

This study uses a time series of samples of corals after a major bleaching event after which many continued dying for years afterwards.

The question you will examine is whether the size of the initial ‘shock’ / loss of coral can explain the subsequent trend of mortality: do corals experiencing a greater shock fare worse in future?

Supervisor: Professor Peter Mumby