Will This Indonesian Torch Coral Garden Withstand a Bleaching Event?

It’s a beautiful sight; a Torch Coral garden, but it’s under stress. I encountered a mild bleaching event while visiting some island offshore reefs in Tomini Bay, the equatorial gulf which separates the Minahassa (North Sulawesi) and East Peninsulas of the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. The Togian Islands lie near its center. To the east, the Gulf opens onto the Molucca Sea. It’s one of the most diverse coral zones in the world.