Fiji’s Coral Reefs Show Remarkable Recovery After Category 5 Cyclone

A new study offers a hopeful story of reef resilience from Fiji, where coral reefs showed remarkable recovery just four years after being ravaged by Category 5 Cyclone Winston in 2016. The reefs initially lost more than half their hard coral cover to the cyclone’s damage, but by 2020 their coral cover and community composition had rebounded to near pre-cyclone levels. Researchers surveyed 18 reef sites and attribute this rapid comeback to strong local conditions – notably abundant herbivorous fish populations, healthy water quality, and good connectivity that supplied coral larvae for natural re-seeding. The findings highlight that even after catastrophic disturbance, high-integrity reefs (those with robust ecological foundations and low stress from human activities) can “bounce back” if given a chance. This example is informing Fiji’s National Action Plan for Coral Reefs, reinforcing the message that protecting reef health at the community level (through managing fisheries, pollution, etc.) is essential for aiding recovery and maintaining coral reef services in a warming world.