Palau, Coral Garden at the Short Drop-Off, April 24, 2024

The Short Drop-Off is a popular dive destination in Palau, so named because it is only a short distance from the capital city of Koror. In 1998, Palau suffered a catastrophic bleaching event that killed a huge number of corals. When I swam over this reef in 1999, I could not find a single living acroporid coral. Today this section of the reef is thriving with a healthy diversity of corals. We are all anxious to see how the reefs in Palau and elsewhere will respond to the high sea surface temperatures being recorded worldwide this year.

Видео Palau, Coral Garden at the Short Drop-Off, April 24, 2024 канала Bruce Carlson