Asia’s coral faces a deadly onslaught
If overfishing and pollution don’t kill it, climate change will
SMALL BOATS criss-cross Black Rock Reef on their way to nearby seaweed and pearl farms. Below, the blue lips of giant clams open and close amid a jungle of multicoloured coral. At the sound of a distant detonation—dynamite fishing, although illegal, is common in the area—a small shark swims hurriedly away. The reef lies nestled off the town of Taytay, on the island of Palawan in the Philippines. Its vivid blues, pinks and greens are a welcome sight given how many nearby corals died because of unusually warm water almost a decade ago—a blight that is becoming commonplace because of global warming.
This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “Polyp apocalypse”
Asia
October 26th 2019- Asia’s coral faces a deadly onslaught
- King Vajiralongkorn dismisses his official mistress
- A Chinese firm may or may not be leasing one of the Solomon Islands
- As Pakistan’s biggest city crumbles, politicians bicker
- Beware North Korea’s petulance and propaganda
- Why Indonesia’s president has made his arch-rival a minister
- Australians resent a ban on climbing their country’s most famous rock
From the October 26th 2019 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the edition
Australia’s election could come down to independent MPs
Both main parties may need their support
Myanmar’s junta takes advantage of a devastating earthquake
The disaster may entrench a brutal regime
Ending Central Asia’s endless squabbles over eccentric borders
Leaders are finally fixing the mess they inherited from the Soviet Union
India sees opportunity, as well as risk, in Trump’s trade war
Narendra Modi hopes to strike a deal that will unleash growth
As Chinese drills begin, Taiwan expels mainland influencers
The government is drawing new lines around acceptable speech
The junta’s spite worsens Myanmar’s catastrophic quake
The generals have a dire record of exploiting natural disasters