Fig. 5: Recovery potential score (RPS) over 1993–2017.
From: Machine learning prediction of connectivity, biodiversity and resilience in the Coral Triangle
Dark blue (green) areas identify domains with RPS = 3 (RPS = 2), while known reefs are in yellow. In the Indian Ocean, the northern Maldives Islands, the Laccadive archipelago, and the reefs around Sri Lanka, together with smaller areas to the south-west of Thailand, the southern Nicobare Islands, and western Sumatra have a high RPS. In the South China Sea, recovery is likely along the coasts of southern Vietnam, west Cambodia, and southern Thailand, and around Riau Islands and northern Spratly Islands. A portion of reefs in the Indonesian Bangka-Belitung province has also a high RPS, along with reefs in central Java. In the northern CT, only reefs in the Sulu Sea have a high RPS, while in the central CT the Maluku Islands and Western Papua, Nusa Tenggara (eastern Indonesia) and south-eastern Sulawesi show good recovery potential. Finally, high RPS values are found to the south-east of the Philippines, in a small portion of northern Australia, and in some Pacific islands such as Palau, the western Federate States of Micronesia, and to a lesser extent the southern Marshall Islands and Tuvalu.
