Coral Bleaching -- INDONESIA

BWH Bugwotro at upandang.wasantara.net.id
Mon Jun 15 14:44:37 EDT 1998


In addition to a previous message on coral bleaching at Lombok island by
the JARI Foundation, I can report the occurrance of fatal bleaching at
the westernmost point of Bali island (west of Lombok) and at its east
coast (May 1998). Many soft corals were white and disintegrating. There
was almost no bleaching at Nusa Lembongan, southeast off Bali (where
usually cold currents occur) but still some at the north coast of the
neighbouring Nusa Penida.

Mr. Ketut Sarjana Putra, marine scientist at the Bali office of
WWF-Indonesa Programme has noticed that in March 1998 there was much
more bleaching at one site at Nusa Penida. The apparent quick recovery
seems to reflect occupation by large fast-growing xeniid soft corals of
substrata that became vacant during the bleaching. The water at this
site was observed to reach low temperatures (20-22 degrees C) during
westward tidal currents, while during eastward currents the water was
less cold (25-27 degrees C). The cold water currents at Nusa Penida and
Nusa Lembongan are probably related to upwelling.

Bert W. Hoeksema
Program Buginesia WOTRO-UNHAS
PO Box 1624
Ujung Pandang 90016
Indonesia


astrong at nesdis.noaa.gov wrote:

> Passing this recent information from Lombok Island in Indonesia on to
> others who
> may have an interest or may wish to share further observations.
>
> Al Strong
>
> <---- Begin Forwarded Message ---->
> From: "Taufik Hizbul Haq" <yajari at hotmail.com>
> To: astrong at nesdis.noaa.gov
> Subject: Coral Bleaching
> Date: Tue, 05 May 1998 21:00:53 PDT
>
> First of all, let me introduce ourselves. We are a Marine Foundation,
> named Yayasan JARI. We're based in Mataram, Lombok Island, West Nusa
> Tenggara Province - Indonesia.
>
> During this last four months, the coral reef around Lombok Island is
> suffering from bleaching process. And it is happening almost around
> Lombok Island (next to Bali). The bleaching process is happening until
>
> 80 feet depth, and also we have cold and hot current[s] on the surface
> and
> [at] depth. All the coral is getting white and it is very sad. [Does]
> this
> event has something to do with the El-Nino phenomenon? Cause we have
> information that coral in the Great Barrier Reef is bleaching, and
> also
> Taka Bone Rate National Park in South Sulawesi and Bunaken National
> Park
> in North Sulawesi...
>
> Juanita Mandagi
> Marine Foundation -- Yayasan JARI
> Mataram, Lombok Island
> West Nusa Tenggara Province
> Indonesia





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