[Coral-List] Bleaching Potential in Fiji and American Samoa
Mark Eakin
Mark.Eakin at noaa.gov
Sun Apr 2 09:55:59 EDT 2006
Melanesia: Bleaching Warning in Fiji-Beqa
Warmer than normal waters continue throughout Melanesian waters.
Thermal Stress now exceeds 12 degree heating weeks in a large area
southeast of Samoa and American Samoa. Workers in this area should
be watching for localized warming and bleaching.
A smaller area of warm water is directly influencing Fiji and a level
1 bleaching alert has now been issued for Fiji-Beqa. The pixel used
for Fiji-Beqa has now reached 4.6, making bleaching likely. We
encourage you to submit reports on the conditions of corals to the
NOAA-ReefBase bleaching form (below).
According to our past data, some bleaching is likely at DHW values
of 4 or above and large-scale bleaching and some mortality is likely
above 8. We encourage researchers in these regions to watch out for
signs of bleaching.
Current HotSpot and Degree Heating Week charts can be found at:
http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/satellite/index.html
Improved time series graphics for index sites can be found at http://
coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/satellite/current/sstdhwsba_series_24reefs.html
You can sign up for automated bleaching alerts at http://
coralreefwatch-satops.noaa.gov/SBA.html
Please continue reporting bleaching events (or non-events) at http://
www.reefbase.org/input/bleachingreport/index.asp
Regards,
Mark
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------
C. Mark Eakin, Ph.D.
Coordinator, NOAA Coral Reef Watch
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Center for Satellite Applications and Research
Satellite Oceanography & Climate Division
e-mail: mark.eakin at noaa.gov
url: coralreefwatch.noaa.gov
E/RA31, SSMC1, Room 5308
1335 East West Hwy
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3226
301-713-2857 x109 Fax: 301-713-3136
More information about the Coral-List
mailing list