The impact of climate change through thermal stress-related coral bleaching on coral reefs of the Western Indian Ocean has been
well documented and is caused by rising sea water temperatures associated with background warming trends and extreme climate
events.
influence of the above factors, particularly through their impacts on resilience, offering the opportunity for management interventions
to mitigate the impacts of thermal stress and recovery on coral reefs. These concepts are compiled within an overarching framework of
spatial resilience theory. This provides a framework for developing linked scientific and management questions relating to the larger
scale impacts of climate change on coral reefs, their management needs and prospects for their future.
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