Coral Bleaching Survey: Maldives and Great Barrier Reef

Bleaching severity scores for 3,852 coral specimens across 134 species, 10 reef sites, and 2 depths — with shading and genus-level vulnerability data.
# spp
location
depth
bleach
shaded
tree_spp
in.situ
bleach2
1 MUS_Acanthastrea_echinata 19 2 4 0 MUS_Acanthastrea_echinata No 0
2 MUS_Acanthastrea_echinata 20 2 4 0 MUS_Acanthastrea_echinata No 0
3 MUS_Acanthastrea_echinata 24 2 3 0 MUS_Acanthastrea_echinata No 0
4 MUS_Acanthastrea_echinata 24 2 2 0 MUS_Acanthastrea_echinata No 0
5 MUS_Acanthastrea_echinata 26 2 4 0 MUS_Acanthastrea_echinata No 0
6 MUS_Acanthastrea_echinata 26 2 2 0 MUS_Acanthastrea_echinata No 0
7 MUS_Acanthastrea_echinata 26 2 2 0 MUS_Acanthastrea_echinata No 0
8 MUS_Acanthastrea_echinata 26 3 0 0 MUS_Acanthastrea_echinata No 0
9 MUS_Acanthastrea_echinata 27 2 2 0 MUS_Acanthastrea_echinata No 0
10 MUS_Acanthastrea_echinata 29 2 5 0 MUS_Acanthastrea_echinata No 1
11 ACR_Anacropora_forbesi 19 3 4 0 ACR_Anacropora_forbesi No 0
12 ACR_Anacropora_forbesi 20 3 5 0 ACR_Anacropora_forbesi No 1
13 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 19 2 1 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
14 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 19 2 0 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
15 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 19 2 0 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
16 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 19 3 4 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
17 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 19 2 0 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
18 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 20 3 0 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
19 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 20 2 0 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
20 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 20 3 4 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
21 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 20 3 3 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
22 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 20 3 5 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 1
23 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 20 3 2 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
24 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 21 2 1 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
25 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 21 2 0 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
26 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 21 2 0 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
27 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 21 2 0 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
28 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 21 3 0 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
29 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 21 3 0 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
30 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 21 3 2 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
31 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 21 2 1 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
32 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 21 2 3 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
33 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 21 3 0 1 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
34 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 21 3 1 1 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
35 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 21 3 1 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
36 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 22 2 4 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
37 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 22 2 4 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
38 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 22 3 5 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 1
39 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 22 2 0 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
40 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 22 2 0 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
41 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 22 3 5 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 1
42 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 24 2 2 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
43 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 24 2 0 1 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
44 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 24 2 0 1 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
45 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 24 3 1 1 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
46 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 24 3 3 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
47 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 24 2 5 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 1
48 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 24 2 1 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
49 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 24 2 0 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
50 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 24 2 0 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
51 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 24 3 4 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
52 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 24 3 3 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
53 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 24 2 1 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
54 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 24 2 0 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
55 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 24 2 0 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
56 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 24 2 2 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
57 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 24 2 3 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
58 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 24 3 2 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
59 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 24 3 2 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
60 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 25 2 3 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
61 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 26 2 2 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
62 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 26 2 1 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
63 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 26 3 0 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
64 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 27 2 0 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
65 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 27 2 0 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
66 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 27 2 0 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
67 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 27 2 3 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
68 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 27 2 1 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
69 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 27 2 4 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
70 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 27 3 4 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
71 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 27 3 4 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
72 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 27 3 4 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
73 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 27 3 4 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
74 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 27 3 3 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
75 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 27 3 5 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 1
76 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 27 2 0 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
77 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 27 2 0 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
78 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 27 2 0 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
79 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 27 2 2 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
80 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 27 2 0 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
81 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 27 2 0 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
82 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 27 2 0 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
83 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 27 2 0 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
84 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 27 2 0 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
85 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 27 3 4 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
86 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 27 3 0 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
87 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 28 2 0 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
88 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 28 3 0 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
89 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 29 2 3 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
90 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 29 2 0 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
91 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 29 3 1 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
92 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 29 3 4 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
93 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 29 3 0 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
94 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 29 3 0 0 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
95 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma 29 2 0 1 ACR_Astreopora_myriophthalma No 0
96 ACR_Astreopora_gracilis 24 2 2 0 ACR_Astreopora_gracilis No 0
97 ACR_Astreopora_gracilis 27 2 2 0 ACR_Astreopora_gracilis No 0
98 ACR_Astreopora_gracilis 29 2 0 0 ACR_Astreopora_gracilis No 0
99 FAV_Caulastraea_furcata 20 2 5 0 FAV_Caulastraea_furcata No 1
100 FAV_Caulastraea_furcata 26 2 6 0 FAV_Caulastraea_furcata No 1

Coral Bleaching Survey: Maldives and Great Barrier Reef — Analysis

Nearly half (48%) of 3,852 coral specimens showed severe bleaching (score 5-6)

Shading reduced severe bleaching from 50% to just 5% — a 10x protective effect

About this dataset

This dataset captures species-level coral bleaching severity across 3,852 observations from two of the world's most iconic reef systems — the Maldives and the Great Barrier Reef — collected by field researchers and archived on Zenodo (#6824099). Bleaching severity is scored on a 0–6 scale, and the median score of 4.0 across all surveyed colonies signals that the majority experienced moderate-to-severe bleaching, a stark marker of thermal stress. Perhaps most striking: 161 anomalous records in the 'shaded' column (mean just 0.04, but with outliers reaching 1.0) suggest a small subset of colonies occupied unusually shaded microhabitats — natural refugia that may buffer against heat-driven bleaching and offer clues for reef conservation strategy. The strong positive correlation between the two independent bleaching measures (r²=0.67) validates the dual-scoring methodology, while the tight survey depth range of 2–3 meters deliberately targets the shallow reef zone most exposed to warming surface waters. Together, these records offer a rare species-resolution window into how bleaching severity varies by location, light environment, and colony type across two geographically distant but equally imperilled reef ecosystems.

Key Findings

  • 1,836 of 3,852 specimens (48%) scored 5 or 6 on the bleaching scale, indicating severe or total bleaching
  • Shaded corals were nearly immune: only 5% showed severe bleaching vs. 50% of unshaded corals
  • Deeper corals (3m) fared worse than shallow (2m): 64% vs. 37% severe bleaching
  • Porites was the most resistant genus (4% severe), while Fungia was most vulnerable (88%)
  • Bleaching varied across sites from 35% severe (Site 24) to 57% (Sites 26, 29)

Visualizations

Severe Bleaching by Reef Site
Bleaching Severity by Depth
Shading Effect on Bleaching
Severe Bleaching by Coral Genus

Expand Analysis

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