[Coral-List] Re: Potential for bleaching on the southwestern Pacificreefs

Info CoralWatch Info at coralwatch.org
Sun Jan 15 21:46:27 EST 2006


Re: Potential for bleaching on the southwestern Pacific reefs (Mark Eakin)

Following Mark Eakin's posting (below), we would like to remind all 
Coral-listers that CoralWatch has developed a colour card system that can be 
used for the monitoring of coral bleaching (www.coralwatch.org for details).
In brief, this is a pre-calibrated 6-intensity scale based on coral symbiont 
concentrations. The Coral Health Chart can and has been used in a number of 
different ways to monitor bleaching, and is particularly valuable because it 
provides an additional layer of data beyond the typical 'bleached', 
'partially bleached' and 'not bleached'. 

We encourage people to use the Charts to quantify bleaching throughout both 
the bleaching and hopefully recovery processes. Coral Health Charts are 
available upon request from info at coralwatch.org.

If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact me.

Regards,

DANICA MEEUWIS
CoralWatch Research Assistant
Vision Touch and Hearing Research Centre
University of Queensland 4072 Australia
info at coralwatch.org
www.coralwatch.org



------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
From: Mark Eakin <Mark.Eakin at noaa.gov>
>To: Coral Listserver <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
>Subject: [Coral-List] Potential for bleaching on the southwestern 
Pacificreefs
>Date: Thu, 12 Jan 2006 15:56:25 -0500
>
>Ocean temperatures have been warming to the east and north of 
>Australia.
>
>A region of warming is expanding along the southern GBR, as 
>evidenced by HotSpot values over 1 degree C. Degree Heating Week 
>values have started to accumulate, but have not reached significant 
>levels. These should be monitored for further development.
>
>However, in the Timor Sea, Degree Heating Week values have reached 
>as high as 6 with current HotSpot values near 1.5. Fortunately, 
>this region of warming is currently contracting.
>
>New warming has begun around the Solomon Islands, with DHWs already 
>around 5 in some spots, and HotSpots around 1.5. This region is 
>expanding.
>
>According to our past data, some bleaching is likely at DHW values 
>of 4 or above.
>
>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
>
>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
>
>_______________________________________________
>Coral-List mailing list
>Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
>http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list



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