On June 8, we will once again mark World Oceans Day, celebrating the lifeblood of our planet that generates 50% of the oxygen we need, absorbs 25% of all carbon dioxide emissions, and captures 90% of the excess heat generated by these emissions. The ocean is not just the planet’s lungs but also its largest carbon sink, providing a vital buffer against climate change impacts. On June 9, we celebrate Coral Triangle Day, highlighting the importance of the most diverse coral reefs on the planet located in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste. 

This year, however, our celebrations will be somber as we continue to receive reports that coral reefs across the planet are under stress from unusually high temperatures over the past several months. In the Coral Triangle, photos of bleached reefs have started to show in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia.

According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), April 2024 was the warmest April on record globally. This alarming trend is part of a broader pattern, with a 61% chance that 2024 will become the warmest year in NOAA’s 175-year record and a 100% chance it will rank in the top five. The global surface temperature for April 2024 was 1.32°C above the 20th-century average of 13.7°C. 

Adding to the concern, the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) reported that the global sea surface temperature for April 2024 averaged 21.04°C, the highest value on record for that month. Although the El Niño phenomenon, which peaked at the beginning of 2024, is transitioning back to neutral conditions, the impact of increased greenhouse gases (GHGs) continues to push global temperatures to new heights.

The consequences of these rising temperatures are particularly devastating for our oceans. The current sea surface temperatures are exceptionally and unseasonably warm, posing significant threats to complex ecosystems like coral reefs. Ocean heat can cause mass bleaching of coral reefs, leading to widespread death of marine life, altering underwater ecosystems, and contributing to sea level rise. 

On April 15, 2024, NOAA and the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) confirmed that the planet is currently experiencing its fourth global coral bleaching event, the second in a decade. Bleaching must be confirmed within each ocean basin to make a final determination of a global bleaching event. Heat stress driven by rising ocean temperatures has been confirmed across reefs in the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian Oceans, Red Sea, and the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Aden. Coral bleaching has been recorded in over 53 nations since early 2023, including Indonesia.  

Coral bleaching and the resulting mortality negatively affect not only coral reefs but also fish populations and the human communities that rely on these resources for their livelihoods and well-being. Coral bleaching can also rapidly strip reefs of the aesthetic qualities essential for tourism, leading to a decrease in visitor numbers and threatening the income of local communities. Severe coral bleaching that results in high coral death rates can cause significant changes in fish populations. This can reduce the catches of fishers who rely on reef fish, subsequently affecting food supply and related economic activities.

However, bleached corals do not always result in mortality and resilient corals can recover if the bleaching-induced stressors diminish. This requires global and local action.  A recent Science to Policy Paper, “Rebuilding Coral Reefs – A Decadal Grand Challenge,” by Dr. Nancy Knowlton and her team of scientists (2021), emphasized the urgent need for action to reverse the rapid decline of coral reef ecosystems. They identified three interdependent pillars of action: lowering greenhouse gas emissions, improving local conditions, and investing in active coral restoration.

Marine protected areas (MPAs) offer one of the best solutions to maintain ocean health. Today, MPAs cover 8.01% of the ocean— covering ten times as much as in 2000, according to the latest data from the World Database on Protected Areas. Expanding these areas is critical for protecting coral reefs, mangroves, and the ocean’s resilience to climate change. Active efforts such as coral restoration and mangrove rehabilitation are also key in supporting reef resilience and recovery amidst widespread global threats. 

Indonesia, sitting at the heart of the Coral Triangle, has a critical role to play. As of May 2024, data from the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) shows that Indonesia has 425 MPAs at different stages of development and levels of effectiveness, covering a total of 28.557 million hectares. The goal is to protect 32.5 million hectares by 2030. MMAF is also developing guidelines for Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs) to further protect marine biodiversity and is strategizing to meet its global commitment of protecting 30% of its marine area by 2045 under the Global Biodiversity Framework.

Designing effective MPAs and OECMs involves ensuring that they help reefs become more resilient to climate change by reducing local stressors and promoting conditions that support recovery, such as good water quality and strong herbivore populations. Most importantly, conservation efforts must support the communities that depend on marine environments, equipping them with the tools needed to protect these valuable ecosystems. 

Climate change remains the biggest threat to coral reefs. While addressing climate change requires global efforts, local protection mechanisms and support for natural coral resilience are crucial for preserving reef ecosystems. It is also important to further research coral reef species and systems that are most resilient in the face of climate change and to ensure their protection. Indonesia’s diverse and widespread reef systems offer hope for the future of coral reefs if managed carefully and sustainably. 

To effectively address these threats, we must act with speed, collaboration, transparency, accountability, and capacity. Protecting our oceans and the Coral Triangle requires a nexus where coral reef science, conservation, and management intersect, guided by values, norms, traditions, inclusiveness, and equity. It is essential to create an environment where the equitable distribution of benefits from the oceans and related industries becomes the norm. Only then can we stand a real chance to save our planet together.

Writer: Rili Djohani
Photos: Robert Delfs, The Ocean Agency/Ocean Image Bank, Evi Ihsan/CTC