Tropical cyclone Narelle struck three major reef systems in one epic trek
Coral reefs are important in many ways, but they also play a major role in protecting much of the world's coastlines from erosion by blocking up to 90% of incoming wave energy. During a tropical cyclone, the waves breaking on reefs can be much larger than normal. This can cause major structural dam...
Image: Phys.org
Coral reefs are important in many ways, but they also play a major role in protecting much of the world's coastlines from erosion by blocking up to 90% of incoming wave energy. During a tropical cyclone, the waves breaking on reefs can be much larger than normal. This can cause major structural damage to reefs, from widespread breaking of corals to changes in water flows through the reef system.
Originally published at Phys.org
