Coral reefs are among the most biologically diverse and complex marine ecosystems on Earth. However, anthropogenic impacts continue to degrade coral reefs worldwide, potentially increasing the ability for localized climatic irregularities or fluctuations to cause rapid changes to habitats over limited spatial scales. Bora-Bora Island was impacted by one such irregularity between 02th and January 05, 2020, with adjacent reefs subjected to a combination of low tides, high temperature and algal bloom. This study suggests that, as the mean environmental conditions continue to move towards to abiotic limits on coral reef growth and persistence, even small fluctuations above these limits could have dramatic impacts on the resilience of reef communities.
