Coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific region, including the Great Barrier Reef, recover faster from major stresses than their Caribbean counterparts.
The main reason that Indo-Pacific reefs are more resilient is they have less seaweed than the Caribbean Sea.
Seaweed and corals are age-old competitors in the battle for space. When seaweed growth rates are lower, such as the Indo-Pacific region, the reefs recover faster from setbacks.
Read more at The University of Queensland