Data

Legacy effects of a mild mass bleaching event on coral survival and growth

Australian Institute of Marine Science
Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS)
Viewed: [[ro.stat.viewed]] Cited: [[ro.stat.cited]] Accessed: [[ro.stat.accessed]]
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However, comparatively little is known about the sublethal demographic impacts of bleaching, despite their potential to strongly influence population persistence and recovery. In particular, it remains unclear whether phenotypic responses of corals to heat stress (e.g., remaining unbleached, partially bleached or fully bleached) scale predictably with lethal and sublethal outcomes, or whether even mildly affected corals experience lasting demographic consequences of thermal stress. This study examined changes in coral growth and survival dependent on phenotypic bleaching response, following a mild (4 – 5 DHW) but spatially extensive bleaching event in the central Great Barrier Reef, Australia, in 2022. By using large-area orthomosaics, we were able to virtually tag and track > 5000 colonies before, during, and after bleaching to quantify coral growth, bleaching response, and partial and whole colony mortality. We assessed how bleaching severity influenced vital rates of dominant coral taxa, accounting for taxonomic identity, colony size, water clarity, sea surface temperature, and water velocity. Initial colony size, heat stress and bleaching severity significantly influenced survival and growth in the year following bleaching. Severely bleached colonies showed declines in survival probability and growth compared to non-bleached and partially bleached colonies. Importantly, even the survival and growth of colonies that did not bleach declined during the year with heat stress compared with the year prior. These results suggest that the ecological consequences of mild bleaching events may be substantially underestimated when assessments focus only on visibly bleached colonies. 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While AIMS has made every reasonable effort to ensure high quality of the data, products and services, to the extent permitted by law the data, products and services are provided without any warranties of any kind, either expressed or implied, including without limitation any implied warranties of title, merchantability, and fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement. AIMS make no representation or warranty that the data, products and services are accurate, complete, reliable or current. To the extent permitted by law, AIMS exclude all liability to any person arising directly or indirectly from the use of the data, products and services.&rft_rights=Attribution: Format for citation of metadata sourced from Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) in a list of reference is as follows: Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS). (2026). Legacy effects of a mild mass bleaching event on coral survival and growth. https://apps.aims.gov.au/metadata/view/60685097-103d-4c09-a942-b26a11c535b2, accessed[date-of-access].&rft_subject=oceans&rft.type=dataset&rft.language=English Access the data
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Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Australia License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/au/

Use Limitation: All AIMS data, products and services are provided "as is" and AIMS does not warrant their fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement. While AIMS has made every reasonable effort to ensure high quality of the data, products and services, to the extent permitted by law the data, products and services are provided without any warranties of any kind, either expressed or implied, including without limitation any implied warranties of title, merchantability, and fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement. AIMS make no representation or warranty that the data, products and services are accurate, complete, reliable or current. To the extent permitted by law, AIMS exclude all liability to any person arising directly or indirectly from the use of the data, products and services.

Attribution: Format for citation of metadata sourced from Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) in a list of reference is as follows: "Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS). (2026). Legacy effects of a mild mass bleaching event on coral survival and growth. https://apps.aims.gov.au/metadata/view/60685097-103d-4c09-a942-b26a11c535b2, accessed[date-of-access]".

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List of authors: Lechene Marine1,2, Burn Deborah1, Álvarez-Noriega Mariana1, Becker Madison1, Toor Maren1, Gordon Sophie1, Aston Eoghan1, Hoogenboom Mia2, Ferrari Renata1


Institutional affiliations:


1 Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, 4810 Australia


2 College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4810, Australia


Contact Information for corresponding author: Marine Lechene, [email protected], [email protected]


Abstract


Coral bleaching can cause substantial mortality, with well-documented consequences for reef structure and function. However, comparatively little is known about the sublethal demographic impacts of bleaching, despite their potential to strongly influence population persistence and recovery. In particular, it remains unclear whether phenotypic responses of corals to heat stress (e.g., remaining unbleached, partially bleached or fully bleached) scale predictably with lethal and sublethal outcomes, or whether even mildly affected corals experience lasting demographic consequences of thermal stress. This study examined changes in coral growth and survival dependent on phenotypic bleaching response, following a mild (4 – 5 DHW) but spatially extensive bleaching event in the central Great Barrier Reef, Australia, in 2022. By using large-area orthomosaics, we were able to virtually tag and track > 5000 colonies before, during, and after bleaching to quantify coral growth, bleaching response, and partial and whole colony mortality. We assessed how bleaching severity influenced vital rates of dominant coral taxa, accounting for taxonomic identity, colony size, water clarity, sea surface temperature, and water velocity. Initial colony size, heat stress and bleaching severity significantly influenced survival and growth in the year following bleaching. Severely bleached colonies showed declines in survival probability and growth compared to non-bleached and partially bleached colonies. Importantly, even the survival and growth of colonies that did not bleach declined during the year with heat stress compared with the year prior. These results suggest that the ecological consequences of mild bleaching events may be substantially underestimated when assessments focus only on visibly bleached colonies. We also demonstrate that partially and fully bleached colonies differ significantly in demographic responses, emphasising the importance of accounting for bleaching severity in ecological assessments and forecasting efforts.

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Maintenance and Update Frequency: notPlanned

Notes

Credit
Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS)
Credit
Maren Toor (AIMS)
Credit
Renata Ferrari (AIMS)
Credit
Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program
Credit
College of Science and Engineering (James Cook University)
Credit
Deborah Burn (AIMS)
Credit
Madison Becker (AIMS)
Credit
Sophie Gordon (AIMS)
Credit
Mariana Alvarez-Noriega (AIMS)
Credit
Eoghan Aston (AIMS)
Credit
Mia Hoogenboom (JCU-AIMS)

Modified: 09 10 2026

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Data and code

url : https://github.com/maalechene/Bleaching-legacy-effects.git

global : 48de2e3c-52a9-42f0-84ac-eb13baab0b07

Identifiers
  • global : 60685097-103d-4c09-a942-b26a11c535b2
ACN 633 798 857