Julian Sprung's email.

[Jamaluddin Jompa]

Dear  Jonathan Kelsey and Coral listers,

I am interested in your suggestion on the possibility of macroalgal shading
in reducing
the effect of bleaching on corals (point 2 below). During the 1998 mass
coral bleaching
event, on the inshore reefs of the GBR, we observed relatively lower rate
of bleached 
corals in control plots where macroalgal (mainly Sargassum)canopy were left
intact (dense 
and ~ 1 m high) compared to plots where the canopy had been experimentally
removed. I would 
be pleased to hear more information about this phenomenon. 

The preliminary result can be seen on
http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/corp_site/info_services/publications/reef_research/
issue2_98/2seaweeds.html

Best regard,
Jamal

At 08:52 25/08/00 -0400, Jonathan Kelsey wrote:
>Coral Listers,
>I am very interested further discussion of these theories raised in Mr.
>Sprung's email:
>
>1.) "Mass coral bleaching and subsequent coral death has nothing
whatsoever to
>do with starvation. Nor is water pollution a factor. It is simply hot
water and
>light that combined do the damage. The corals in a hot spot may bleach and
die
>in a matter of just a few days. Corals don't starve so quickly."
>
>2.) "Also, when you find survivors of bleaching events they tend to be in
more
>polluted (nutrient rich) habitats. That can be explained at least partly
by the
>fact that these habitats have lower light penetration due to turbidity and
may
>also have shading caused by growths of macroalgae."
>
>-Are these generally accepted concepts?
>-Can one accurately assess coral mortality rates associated with a bleaching
>event after "a matter of just a few days"?
>-Are there quantitative studies showing that there is a greater bleaching
>survival rate among corals in polluted waters versus those in non-polluted
>water?
>-Any comments and/or further discussion would be greatly appreciated.
>
>