[Coral-List] Tsunami and Atolls

[Verena Wiesbauer Ali]

Ref: Message 2, Vol 31, Issue 13:

> The tsunami 2004 has actually swept across many of the Maldivian Atoll islands completely; water levels reached a maximum of more than 3m (considering the elevation of the islands of around one meter!). 10% of the islands became uninhabitable, one quarter was severely damaged.
 However, under the surface, devastation was limited to debris from land damaging reefs, and sand smothering corals - compared to the 1998 bleaching event, damage was minimal. For the reefs, it was a kind of set back during the slow recovery from the 1998 bleaching.

Cheers,
Verena

Verena Wiesbauer Ali, M.Sc.
Marine Biologist / Zoologist
EIA Consultant: 03/10
Austria and Maldives
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