coral bleaching, Walker's Cay, northern Bahamas, Sept 4-7, 1998.

[Benjamin F Mcpherson]

Bob Halley and Gene Shinn, USGS, suggested I pass these observations
along.
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To: rhalley at wayback.er.usgs.gov, "Eugene A Shinn St. Petersburg, FL"
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cc: "Benjamin F Mcpherson, Supv. Hydrologist (Biol), Tampa, FL" <bmcphers>
Subject: coarl bleaching
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Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1998 13:25:27 -0400
From: "Benjamin F Mcpherson, Supv. Hydrologist (Biol), Tampa, FL"
<bmcphers>


     My wife Margie and I recently went to Walker's Cay in the
northern Bahamas to dive with sharks.  What struck me on these
dives was the great amount of coral that was bleached white,
including many different types of coral.  I haven't been in
Bahama waters or in the Keys for years, but when I did dive there I don't
remember anything like what I saw in early September at Walkers
Cay.  The bleaching stands out very clearly on many of my
underwater photos.  I've heard a lot about bleaching in the Keys
and other places, primarily in warmer periods.  I haven't seen
such obvious bleaching in Honduras or on other Caribbean reefs I've
visited during the last several years (but these diving trips were
in early summer).  I'm wondering if bleaching is more severe in
the northern  Caribbean reefs or if I just happened to
be there when highest temperatures caused a more obvious effect ?
Is the same thing happening now (Sept) in Honduras and Caymans ?
Any thoughts on this.