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<DIV><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial size=2>Dear Colleagues:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>A minor bleaching event is occurring now at Chengue
Bay (11o20'N and 74o08'W) and nearby sites of the Tayrona Natural Park in the
north coast of Colombia (Southern Caribbean Sea). The first evidence of
this event was observed on September 22 when some large <EM>Colpophyllia natans
</EM>were seen partially bleached. About 6% of 440 colonies of hard corals
examined at one site (15-18 m depth) on October 15 had symptoms of bleaching. At
the same site and date, between 9-18 m depth, we visually estimated that less
than 5% of the living coral tissue was affected; <EM>Meandrina meandrites
</EM>and <EM>Porites astreoides </EM>seemed to be the most affected. Other
bleached species: <EM>Millepora alcicornis, Siderastrea siderea, Montastraea
faveolata, M. cavernosa, C. natans, Diploria strigosa, Stephanocoenia intersepta
</EM>and<EM> Dichocoenia stokeksi</EM>. No associated mortality of coral tissue
has been observed. Warm and very turbid waters (due to continental runoff:
strong rainy season this year) have remained in the area for several weeks. High
temperatures (30oC) have been recorded on several occasions at surface
waters since the end of August.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>We were also working on the coral reefs of San
Andrés island (12o32'N and 81o43'W: Southwestern Caribbean) in September
this year, but did not observe any bleaching event in the area.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Regards,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Jaime Garzón-Ferreira and Alberto
Rodríguez</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 face=Arial
size=2>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<BR>Jaime
Garzón-Ferreira<BR>Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras
(INVEMAR)<BR>A.A. 1016, Santa Marta, COLOMBIA<BR>Tel. (575)4214774 or 4211380 -
Fax (575) 4211377<BR>E-mail: <A
href="mailto:jgarzon@invemar.org.co">jgarzon@invemar.org.co</A><BR></FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>