El Nino; Coral-associated marine heterotrophs
Coral Health and Monitoring Program
coral at coral.AOML.ERL.GOV
Fri Jul 28 05:24:25 EDT 1995
We are attempting to catch up on our coral health abstracts (listed at our
Home Page http://coral.aoml.erl.gov), namely from 1994 to present. Here
are two from 1994:
Lough, J.M. 1994. Climate variation and El Nino-Southern
Oscillation events on the Great Barrier Reef: 1958 to 1987. Coral
Reefs 13(3): 181-195.
Seasonal and inter-annual variation of several surface climate
variables near the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) are described for the
30-year period, 1958-1987. Large inter-annual variability of
rainfall and river flow in coastal Queensland is linked to the
aperiodic influences of El Nino-Southern Oscillation events.
These events also affect sea surface temperature and wind fields,
though the inter-annual variability of these variables is not as
large as rainfall and river flow. The major impacts on waters of
the GBR appear to be greatly increased freshwater inputs, reduced
surface radiation (and thus light levels) and enhanced tropical
cyclone activity during anti-El Nino events. El Nino events have
less effect on climate of the GBR because they tend to maintain
winter-like conditions. The effects of this background of high
variability in the physical environment on reef processes must be
considered when examining changes in such processes, changes in
climate (e.g. due to global warming) or increases in
anthropogenic impacts.
============================
Ritchie, K.B.; Smith, G.W. 1994. Carbon source utilization
patterns of coral associated marine heterotrophs. 3rd
International Marine Biotechnology Conference: Program, Abstracts
and List of Participants. International Advisory Comm. of the
Int. Marine Biotechnology Conference 1994, Tromsoe Norway TROMSOE
NORWAY TROMSOE UNIVERSITY 1994 p. 118
Very little information exists on the structure of bacterial
communities associated with scleractinian corals. Interest,
however, in both community structure and changes in structure,
has increased due to the realization that bacteria may play a
major role in certain types of bleaching events. We have
determined carbon utilization patterns for heterotrophic
bacterial communities associated with the hard corals Monastrea
annularis and Acropora cervicornis. Surface samples were taken
from both healthy and bleached areas of the corals growing off
the coast of San Salvador Island, Bahamas. Similar population
shifts were observed in both species during bleaching, and
results indicate a pathogenic bacterium may be responsible for
white band disease.
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