Midway Island NOTICE - Bleaching?

[Alan E Strong]

>From this week's SSTs it appears that Midway has seen some rather
significantly high values: 28.3 C at the moment.

        http://www.osdpd.noaa.gov/PSB/EPS/SST/dhw_news.html

Since this exceeds our bleaching threshold of 27.9C, thermal stress is
accumulating that might lead to a bleaching event.  What appears most
significant is that over the last 17 years this appears to be a record
high SST for this early in the season:

    http://orbit-net.nesdis.noaa.gov/orad/sub/sst_series_midway_cur.html
and
    http://orbit-net.nesdis.noaa.gov/orad/sub/sst_series_midwaypath.html

Only twice before, in our records, have we seen these extreme levels
during the summer, 1987 and 19888 - but those events occurred in
late-August!

Hopefully, surface winds will increase and keep conditions mixed:
        http://www.osdpd.noaa.gov/PSB/EPS/icg/midw0wind.htm

Anyone with in-situ observations please advise us/and or ReefBase:
        http://www.reefbase.org/input/bleachingreport/index.asp

Cheers,
Al
--
**** <>< ******* <>< ******* <>< ******* <>< *******
Alan E. Strong
Team Leader, Marine Applications Science Team (MAST)
Coral Reef Watch - Project Coordinator
Phys Scientist/Oceanographer
  NOAA/NESDIS/ORA/ORAD -- E/RA3
  NOAA Science Center -- RM 711W
  5200 Auth Road
  Camp Springs, MD 20746-4304
        Alan.E.Strong at noaa.gov
             301-763-8102 x170
              FAX: 301-763-8572
  http://orbit-net.nesdis.noaa.gov/orad