Can resilience be maintained in Chagos? Figure 3: Data from video recorded across the depth range of 10-25m surveyed in March 2016 (post 2015 bleaching event but prior to 2016 bleaching event) (orange line) is superimposed on Sheppard & Sheppard visual assessments data of earlier years to show that coral cover, especially in shallow waters, has been set back to the levels observed in 2001, post the 1997/98 bleaching event.
Analysis of archival video Figure 4: Coral disease (white syndrome) was observed affecting table corals (mostly Acropora cytherea) in 2014, with an increase in frequency especially at Peros Banhos atoll in 2015. Reanalysing archival video recorded in 2006 (when disease was not of concern) shows incidence then was very low, even on Peros Banhos reefs. This demonstrates the immense value of archival video records. 19