[Coral-List] Looming coral bleaching?

[Héctor Reyes Bonilla]

coral list, saludos.

just a comment; last year we had a severe coral bleaching in the southern
gulf of california due to high local temperatures (over 1°C above the usual
from february to november, and surpassing the local bleaching threshold
during three months in summer and fall). it is interesting to note that sst
in this region has been lower than usual in the last decade, apparently due
to the effect of the cold phase of the pacific decadal oscillation,
however, according to local oceanographers, there is some evidence that the
pdo is changing to its warm phase again. in short, maybe everybody is
right: bleaching can occur even in the presence of a "cold regime",
depending on the location, but if the conditions "align", the effects can
be synergistic and catastrophic, like they were in 1997-98.

Hector Reyes
UABCS, La Paz

2015-01-13 14:56 GMT-07:00 Douglas Fenner <douglasfennertassi at gmail.com>:

> "ScienceInsider", one of the "Science Now" popular science news services
> provided free by Science magazine, now has a new piece entitled:
>
> Looming coral reef disaster?  Scientists divided.
>
>
> http://news.sciencemag.org/climate/2015/01/looming-coral-reef-disaster-scientists-divided?utm_campaign=email-news-latest&utm_source=eloqua
>
> (open access)
>
> See the comment by Mark Eakin below the story, which adds info.
>
> I note that in the last paragraph, the article says "Others note bigger
> threats, such as chronic pollution and destructive fishing."  I think
> opinions vary on whether local threats such as chronic pollution and
> destructive fishing are greater than mass coral bleaching.  Part of the
> difference may be between the past when local threats were the worst many
> places (and most places before mass bleaching events), and the future when
> it looks like bleaching may be the worst.  Mind you, bleaching in 1998
> caused vast damage in most of the Indian Ocean in particular, but also in
> some other locations.  Bleaching in 1998 was arguably the largest single
> destructive event for the world's coral reefs so far.
>      Cheers,  Doug
>
> --
> Douglas Fenner
> Contractor with Ocean Associates, Inc.
> PO Box 7390
> Pago Pago, American Samoa 96799  USA
>
> phone 1 684 622-7084
>
> "belief in climate change is optional, participation is not."
>
> belief in evolution is optional, use of antibiotics that bacteria have not
> evolved resistance to is recommended.
>
> website:  http://independent.academia.edu/DouglasFenner
>
> blog: http://ocean.si.edu/blog/reefs-american-samoa-story-hope
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-- 
Héctor Reyes Bonilla
Departamento Académico de Biología Marina
Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur
Carretera al sur km 5.5. Col. El Mezquitito
La Paz, B.C.S., C.P. 23080.
Tel. (52-612) 123-8800, ext. 4814
Fax (52-612) 123-8819.