[Coral-List] 2004 coral bleaching in the NWHI

[Jean Kenyon, Ph.D.]

Drs. Jean Kenyon and Greta Aeby confirmed substantial coral bleaching at
several reef systems in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands during surveys
conducted in September/October 2004. At Maro Reef, Laysan, and
Lisianski, the taxa most frequently affected included Montipora patula,
Porites evermanni, and Porites lobata, with lower incidences of
bleaching in Montipora capitata, Pocillopora meandrina, and Pocillopora
damicornis. At Pearl & Hermes Atoll and Midway Atoll, bleaching was most
pronounced in the shallow backreef habitat, with Montipora capitata and
Pocillopora meandrina most frequently affected. The incidence of
bleaching in the shallow backreef habitat at Kure, the northernmost
atoll in the Hawaiian Archipelago, was less than that at Pearl & Hermes
and at Midway, with the same taxa most frequently affected.