The coral reefs of the Keppel Islands which are located in the southern part of the Great Barrier Reef have suffered severe bleaching events in 2006 due to high temperature of the sea water. Following this damage, the reefs had quickly been invaded by algae, an additional stress being able to precipitate the death of the reefs. However, a favorable combination of circumstances enabled the few reefs to recover very quickly.

Three factors have contributed to the speedy recovery. The rate of growth of new tissue from the coral tissue that had survived was exceptionally high and the decline (dieback) of the algae was much higher than in previous years. Finally, the nature of the coral, a species particularly has competitive ability to grow faster than the algae, contributed to the survival and recovery of reefs.

It is rare to see reefs that have suffered episodes of bleaching or other damage to recover within one or two decades. According to biologists at the University of Queensland and the ARC Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, the solid masses of the Keppel Islands have also benefited from their location in a protected natural park where water quality is generally good.

Coral bleeching: Watch this Video