[Coral-List] Mariana Islands bleaching

[Peter Houk]

Greetings,

A bleaching report from Saipan Island, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands.  Manta-tows revealed that shallow (0-5 m) coral communities around
Saipan started showing signs of bleaching in early August.  Follow-up
transect and quadrat surveys at long-term monitoring stations thus far
revealed that10 - 15 % of shallow water, tabulate Acropora and encrusting
Montipora colonies are currently bleaching.  Notably, at the 10-12 m depth
no such bleaching is yet observed.  Minimal coloration remains at the base
of many of these bleached colonies.  A bit more detailed information was
also posted on the reefbase website.

Peter




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Dr. Peter Houk
Marine Biologist
CNMI Division of Environmental Quality
Saipan, MP. 96950
www.cnmicoralreef.net/monitoring