bleachings and spawnings (fwd)

[Coral Health and Monitoring Program]

---------- Forwarded message ---------- 
Date: Tue, 29 Oct 1996 15:03:03 -0600 (CST) 
From: Rosa Elisa Rodriguez <rosaer at mar.icmyl.unam.mx> 
To: Coral Health and Monitoring Program <coral at aoml.noaa.gov> 
Subject: Re: bleachings and spawnings 

Coral Bleaching in the Mexican Caribbean was observed in October 1995. 
Personal observations were done in the rear-reef of Puerto Morelos Reef. 
Quatitative data are as follows 

1: 1-20% of the colonies were bleached 
2: 21-40% 
3: 41-60% 
4: 61-80% 
5: 81-100% 
			Site 1	Site 2 
Montastrea annularis	5	4 
Diploria strigosa	1	- 
Meandrina meandrites	5	- 
Porites porites		3	3 
P. astreoides		1	- 
Isophyllastrea rigida	3	- 
Isophyllia sinuosa	3	- 
Acropora palmata	0	1 
A. cervicornis		-	1 
A. prolifera		-	5 (only 2 colonies present) 
Agaricia agaricites	5	- 
A. tennuifolia		5	- 

M. complanata		5	5 
M. alcicornis		3	- 

Palythoa sp. and many species of gorgonacea were also bleached 

Other sites reported by locals were Punta Nizuc (Cancun), Manchones Reef 
(Isla Mujeres), Mahaual (South of Quintana Roo). 

Observations conducted in March, 1996 revealed no bleaching in Site 2 and 
two other sites.  In site 1 only M. annularis colonies remained pale on 
the top part of the colony, the sides had recovered their original color. 

Although we have no quantitative data no severe mortality appeared to 
have happened due to the bleaching event. 

Biol. Rosa Rodriguez 
Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnologia 
Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico 
Estacion Puerto Morelos, Lab. Arrecifes Coralinos 

Tel (987) 102-19 
Fax (987) 101-38 

e-mail: rosaer at mar.icmyl.unam.mx