Bleachimg???

[Edwin Hernandez-Delgado]

Dear listers:

This is to inform that there is also some bleaching occurring in the eastern 
coast of Puerto Rico, including both, pristine and anthropogenically 
degraded habitats, in depths fluctuating from 1.0 to 15 m.

Bleaching reached 77% of the corals at Culebra Island (27 km off eastern 
P.R. during October, 1998).  There are still several non-recovered heads of 
the Montastrea annularis species complex and several isolated colonies of 
Diploria labyrinthiformis, Diploria clivosa, Agaricia agaricites, Porites 
astreoides and P. porites.

However, colonies of Siderastrea siderea, which is one of the earliest 
species which has been affected in our study sites, is already starting to 
show the early signs of bleaching (pale round spots).  There are no water 
temperature abnormailities.

All bleached corals are mostly affected in their upper surfaces (more 
exposed to sunlight), just like in the 1998 event.




Edwin A. Hernandez-Delgado
Universidad de Puerto Rico
Departamento de Biologia
Grupo de Investigacion en Arrecifes de Coral
P.O. Box 23360
San Juan, Puerto Rico 00931-3360

Tel. (787) 764-0000, x-4855
Fax  (787) 764-2610

e-mail: coral_giac at hotmail.com
        diploria at coqui.net
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