[Coral-List] Coral bleaching in Australia

[Hughes, Terry]

Dear Coral-List,
Coral bleaching is now severe on the northern third of Great Barrier Reef (GBR), even as cooler weather from ex-cyclone Winston (the one that crossed Fiji) has brought significant reprieve to central and southern areas. The northern Great Barrier Reef stretches for 1000km.
Bleaching is also occurring in the Coral Sea and on sub-tropical reefs south of the GBR. There is no significant bleaching as yet in Western Australia..
In the next few days, the National Coral Bleaching Taskforce will undertake extensive aerial surveys on the GBR to measure the extent of the bleaching.. http://www.coralcoe.org.au/news-and-media/media-releases . Similar aerial surveys were done during the two earlier mass bleaching events in 1998 and 2002.
The Bleaching Taskforce was initiated in November last year to co-ordinate research effort among Australia's marine science community in the event of a mass bleaching event in Australia. The taskforce draws together 10 research institutions across Australia to co-ordinate the efforts of over 300 scientists.
The associated research institutions are: ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, Australian Institute of Marine Science, CSIRO, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, James Cook University, NOAA, University of Queensland, University of Sydney, University of Western Australia, WA Department of Parks and Wildlife.
Cheers, Terry

Professor Terry Hughes FAA
Convenor, National Coral Bleaching Taskforce
Director, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies
James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811
Australia

Link to Terry Hughes Google Scholar profile<http://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=MhJ2LfsAAAAJ>

Email: terry.hughes at jcu.edu.au<mailto:terry.hughes at jcu.edu.au>
Phone: 61 (0)7 4781 4000
Website: http://www.coralcoe.org.au/postdocs/terry-hughes

ABC RN Breakfast: Interview on coral bleaching http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/widespread-coral-bleaching-detected-on-the/7212760