12. The Time-Keeping Corals of the Maldives
In the Maldives, a chain of coral atolls in the Indian Ocean, there is an intriguing myth concerning coral that sense time. Local legend has it that some old coral formations in the deep seas around the islands have magical capacity to capture and mirror global history. The mythology relates of “chronocorals” that develop in perfect time with the revolutions of the Earth around the sun. With variances in color and texture indicating significant events that occurred during that period, each layer of these corals is supposed to reflect one year. According to the belief, smart elders and experienced divers could read these coral chronicles, learning about ancient civilizations, climate changes, and even future forecasts. Considered as living libraries, the chronocorals were supposed to preserve the shared memory of the land and the sea. Stories of guardians, famous Maldivian sages who devoted their life to researching and preserving these time-keeping corals, abound in this mythology. They were supposed to honor the corals and preserve the flow of information by carrying out yearly ceremonies Although this tale is obviously based on fantasy, it speaks a great truth about corals that science have only lately verified. In their skeletal architecture, corals do in fact track environmental variations across time. Through coral core analysis, scientists can recreate ocean temperatures, past climate conditions, and even significant events as volcanic eruptions. Like tree rings, the growth bands in coral skeletons offer a chronology of their environmental conditions and development. The old Maldivian story gains some prescience from this scientific truth. Today, the tale of the time-keeping corals has become even more important as the Maldives suffers major hazards from increasing sea levels and climate change. It reminds us of the long-term view required to grasp and deal with environmental changes as well as of the vital part coral reefs play as markers of the future condition of our planet and archives of the past.
zi ang