Corals that are blue

[Peter Glynn]

I have a comment in addition to Mark Eakin's dialog about bleached blue
Porites lobata in the eastern Pacific of Panama. There is at least one
Porites lobata colony at this same location that is located in about 20ft.
of water at the bottom of a basalt outcropping, which has been completely
blue every time I have been at this site. It does not appear bleached as did
the colony in photos that Mark presented, which had patches of white and
light blue areas. The colony that I am describing is rich in color and
stands next to another color morph of Porites (amber, also not bleached).
Therefore, it is possible that this blue color is its natural color. The
colony in Mark's photos, however, is located at a shallower depth, in an
area that gets much direct sunlight. I do not remember what it's unbleached
coloration is but I will have to look into my photo library for it, I think
I have a picture.

Best regards to all,

Susan B. Colley Theodosiou