In a recent observation of coral reefs in Chabahar Bay, researchers registered high degrees of bleaching caused by rising sea temperatures.
A team of experts and divers were dispatched to the area in late July to investigate the state of the reefs following global warnings of the devastating impact of warming waters on the organisms, IRNA reported.
"At the time of observation, the majority of reefs were losing color," Amir Qazilou, director of the Gulf of Oman and Indian Ocean Oceanography Center, said.
The level of bleaching among stony corals has reached almost 100% and other species have paled by 10% to 50%, according to the official.
The genus of Pocillopora was least affected by bleaching (less than 5%). Water temperatures were measured at over 30 degrees Celsius while the appropriate heat for corals is between 20 and 24 degrees Celsius.
"If temperatures remain above 30 degrees Celsius the rate of bleaching will rise even further," he said. Most bleached coral reefs will die and this will strike a heavy blow to the environment, he added.
In the coastal waters of Chabahar, 10 families including 20 species of corals have been identified.
