Taiwan coral reefs need 100 years to recover: scientists

TAIPEI (AFP) - Coral reefs off Taiwan will need up to 100 years to recover from Typhoon Morakot, which lashed the island in early August killing more than 600 people, a scientist said Tuesday.

Latest research shows the reefs, near volcanic Orchid Island southeast of Taiwan, have sustained even worse damage than initially feared, according to Academia Sinica, a Taipei-based scientific institution.

"Some of the shallow-water coral reefs look as if they've been crushed by road rollers," said Chen Chaolun, a researcher at the institution. "They will need up to 100 years to recover."

The live coral coverage near Orchid Island has tumbled from 68 percent to less than 18 percent, he said.

The reefs, popular with diving enthusiasts, were damaged by driftwood thrust into the sea by the typhoon and mudflows crashing into the ocean from coastal areas.

Chen warned that his 100-year estimate is based on the assumption that overfishing, pollution and aggressive development in coastal areas is stopped.

Typhoon Morakot unleashed a record three metres (10 feet) of rain, triggering widespread flooding and massive deadly landslides.

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