BRIEFLY NOTED (Setember 2010)
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Indonesia’s Coral Reefs Dying at Alarming Rate
Coral that survived the 2004 tsunami is now dying at one of the fastest rates ever recorded because of a dramatic rise in water temperatures off northwestern Indonesia, conservationists say, warning that the threat extends to other reefs across Asia. Teams from the Wildlife Conservation Society were deployed in Aceh Province, on the tip of Sumatra island, in May when surface waters in the Andaman Sea peaked at 93 degrees Fahrenheit (34 degrees Celsius)—a 7 degree Fahrenheit (4 degree Celsius) rise over long-term averages. They discovered massive bleaching, which occurs when algae living inside coral tissue are expelled. Subsequent surveys carried out together with Australia’s James Cook University and Indonesia’s Syiah Kuala University showed 80 percent of those corals have since died.
Thailand and Cambodia Restore Ambassadors
Thailand and Cambodia sent their ambassadors back to their posts in August in hopes of easing a nine-month diplomatic spat between the neighbors. The step to normalizing ties came after Thailand’s divisive former leader Thaksin Shinawatra quit his job as an adviser to the Cambodian government, citing time constraints. Bangkok was angered by Thaksin’s appointment in November because the deposed leader is a fugitive from justice. Cambodia’s relations with Thailand have been contentious for years, with the focus most recently on a border dispute. In recent years, the neighbors have had a series of small but sometimes deadly skirmishes over the demarcation of the border near the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple.
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