简介：TheAndamanandNicobarIslandsareoneoftheUnionTerritoriesofIndia,locatedintheeasternpartoftheBayofBengal.In2010summer,theincrementinseasurfacewatertemperature(upto34℃)resultedinthebleachingofabout74%to77%ofcoralsintheSouthAndaman.Duringthisevent,coralspeciessuchasAcroporacerealis,A.humilis,Montiporasp.,Faviapallida,Diploastreasp.,Gonioporasp.Fungiaconcinna,Gardineroseriessp.,Poritessp.,FavitesabditaandLobophylliarobustawereseverelyaffected.ThisstudyistoassesstherecoverystatusofthereefecosystembyestimatingthepercentageofLiveCoralcover,Bleachedcoralcover,Deadcoralwithalgae,Rubble,Sandyflat,Algalassemblageandotherassociatedorganisms.Thesedimentationrate(mgcm-2d-1)andcoralcoverage(%)wereassessedduringthisstudyperiod.Theaveragesedimentationratewasrangedbetween0.27and0.89mgcm-2d-1.Theobservedpostbleachingrecoveryofcoralcoverwas21.1%atPortBlairBayand13.29%atHavelockIsland.Themortalityrateofcoralcoverduetothisbleachingwasestimatedas2.05%atPortBlairBayand9.82%atHavelockIsland.Oncetheseawatertemperatureresumedbacktothenormalcondition,mostofthecoralswerefoundrecovered.