[Coral-List] Western Pacific Bleaching

[Mark Eakin]

Warming has been seen in the region from the northern Philippines to  
southern Japan and Korea.  NOAA Coral Reef Watch data reveal sea  
surface temperatures of 30-32 degrees and Coral Bleaching HotSpots  
reveal water temperatures of up to 2.9 degrees above the maximum  
monthly mean.  The warmest thermal stress accumulation is currently  
found in the region south of Taipei and northwest of Luzon.   Our  
Degree Heating Week product reveals that the waters off the Luzon  
coast now exceed 10 degree weeks of thermal stress.  Reports,  
including two on the Coral List, indicate that bleaching is already  
underway at Kenting National Park, Taiwan, Ishigaki Island, Japan,  
and the Philippines.

Another large region of heat stress can be seen in the region east of  
the Mariana Islands and northwest of Wake Island.  The SST anomalies  
and HotSpots are not as high in this region and are currently of less  
threat to coral reef systems.

Our 24 index sites around the globe can be found at:
http://www.osdpd.noaa.gov/PSB/EPS/CB_indices/
coral_bleaching_indices.html

Current HotSpot and Degree Heating Week charts, HDF data, and
GoogleEarth products can be found at:
http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/satellite/index.html

Please report any bleaching observations from this region to the  
Coral List and to ReefBase at http://www.reefbase.org/contribute/ 
bleachingreport.aspx

Cheers,
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

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