Reef Check chronicles: A comprehensive analysis of 19 Years of Maldives coral reef history and impacts response

The synergic effect of temperature anomalies and anthropogenic pressure has amplified the negative effects of climate change all around the world. Over an 19-year period, comprehensive coral reef monitoring was conducted throughout the Maldivian central atolls using the Reef Check protocol. The study aims to explore the combined impact of varying degrees of human pressures with climate change effects, and their implications for reef recovery. By categorising reefs based on island management, inhabited, uninhabited, and resort, we examined the benthic community composition and the fish and macro-invertebrate communities, revealing significantly different environmental responses between oceanic and lagoon reefs. Reefs near inhabited and resort islands, subject to higher human pressures, exhibited greater impacts during the 2016 bleaching event. However, some oceanic reefs demonstrated notable post-bleaching recovery. Uninhabited islands, with lower human impact, showed faster post-bleaching recovery. Recognising these distinctions at the reef management level can inform policymakers in crafting targeted management and regulation for safeguarding natural environments, particularly amidst climate change-induced threats.