[Coral-List] Meandrina meandrites Bleaching, Boynton Beach, FL

[Etichscuba at aol.com]

> >> 
>> From: goreau <goreau at bestweb.net>
>> Subject: [Coral-List] Re: Meandrina meandrites Bleaching, Boynton
>>  Beach, FL
>> To: Etichscuba at aol.com
>>  
>> Dear Ed,
>> 
>>  Nice work!
>> 
>>  You are completely right  that Meandrina is a particularly 
>> strong and predictable bleacher, but this is long known.  That is why 
>> my parents used it to experimentally determine the physiological, 
>> cellular, and biochemical  effects of bleaching on corals 50 years 
>> go. Since those days we have noticed it to undergo regular seasonal 
>> paling in warm seasons. This, like so much else,  has been ignored by 
>> the current generation of reef  "scientists" who do not know or 
>> respect the old knowledge. so that  they can "discover" it.
>> 
>>  For 15 years now we've been able to predict when, where, and 
>> how bad bleaching will be in almost all cases worldwide  from 
>> satellite data alone, before it can be seen in the field, using our 
>> HotSpot method (Goreau, 1989, Goreau et al. 1991, Goreau &Hayes, 
>> 1994, and much more).
>> 
>>  The Southeast  Florida area had  a well developed HotSpot 
>> this year, and Dan Clark noticed marked bleaching underway in Broward 
>> County over  a month ago, coincident with your observations. This 
>> HotSpot was completely dissipated by the reduced sunshine and strong 
>> vertical mixing that accompanied the hurricane, so we are predicting 
>> rapid recovery except for Palythoa, which will linger, as usual.
>> 
>>  Best wishes,
>> 
>>  Tom
> 
> 
> 
> Dear Tom,
> 
> What I think the data show is that the bleaching is in response to daylength 
> and not temperature. I occurrs and recovers within the same time frame each 
> year, with no apparent damage to the colonies. I think someone needs to study 
> this. If for no other reason than to have a field site where bleaching can 
> be observed on a predictable basis.
> Ed
> 
> 
> 
>