[Coral-List] St. John Bleaching Status, some color returning, some mortality

[jeffmiller at islands.vi]

During monitoring in response to the bleaching event within the US Virgin
Islands, we've noticed a dramatic increase in the coloration (trend to
normal color) of corals within our study reefs around St. John.  This has
happened within the past 10 - 14 days.  Most corals have at least some
light color (as opposed to white), and some have gradients from pale to
full normal color.  No single species seems to be changing color more
rapidly than any other. Depths of our monitoring sites are between 15-60
ft (4.6-8.3 m).

The mean seawater temperature (55 ft/16.8 m) at a monitoring site at
Tektite Reef went from 30.4º C (86.7º F) in September to 29.6º C (85.3º F)
in October.

October was a very rainy and cloudy month.  During the period 9/30 -
10/11, 11.04 inches (28 cm) of rain were recorded while the seawater
temperature at a monitoring site (depth 55 ft/16.8 m) dropped 1.6 ºC (~3
ºF).

Dr. Caroline Rogers and Erinn Muller have been monitoring Acropora palmata
colonies and note that many are bleached and have suffered mortality.

Photo and movies showing monitoring sites progression through this
bleaching episode are available at:
http://www1.nature.nps.gov/im/units/sfcn/coral.htm


For More information contact:

Jeff Miller
Fisheries Biologist
South Florida Caribbean Network
Inventory and Monitoring Program
Virgin Islands National Park
1300 Cruz Bay Creek
St. John VI 00830
340-693-8950 x227


Erinn Muller
Research Assistant, USGS
Virgin Islands National Park
1300 Cruz Bay Creek
St. John VI 00830
340-693-8950 x236


Dr. Caroline Rogers
Coral Reef Ecologist, USGS
Virgin Islands National Park
1300 Cruz Bay Creek
St. John VI 00830
3410-693-8950 x221