[Coral-List] Excess algal symbionts increase coral susceptibility to bleaching

[Eugene Shinn]

Doug is right that most of the Asian dust crosses north of the main 
coral atoll areas but I point out that the fertile red soil on the 
Hawaiian islands is Asian dust. Asian dust travels a great distance 
and a few years ago it blocked out the sun in Denver. The event made 
the front page of the Denver Post  because so many people were 
coughing, wheezing and experiencing red eyes. Asian dust has even 
been detected in Alpine snow after circling the earth at least once. 
Huge dust storms originating in Australia periodically reach the 
Barrier reef and reach as far as New Zealand. Indonesia receives 
dust, and smoke, from India as do the Maldives. Korea is sometimes 
obscured on satellite images  by Asian dust. The Korean government 
informs farmers to bring their livestock inside when the dust is 
coming. It brings a strain of the Foot and Mouth disease virus. I 
will admit that I spent 2 months on Enewetak atoll in the early 
eighties and experienced the clearest sky I had ever seen..not even a 
contrail was visible. Nevertheless there is abundant satellite 
evidence that many atoll reefs, including the Great Barrier Reef see 
their fair share of iron rich dust. Gene
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No Rocks, No Water, No Ecosystem (EAS)
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E. A. Shinn, Courtesy Professor
University of South Florida
College of Marine Science Room 221A
140 Seventh Avenue South
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
<eshinn at marine.usf.edu>
Tel 727 553-1158---------------------------------- 
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