[Coral-List] Bleaching Alert: Central Pacific heats up...again

[Alan E. Strong]

Here at Coral Reef Watch we are noting that our NOAA's satellite data 
are indicating above normal temperatures over the mid-tropical Pacific.  
If we had one of our automated our satellite indices "virtual stations" 
in the vicinity of Howland (176.5W; 1N) & Baker Islands  (176.5W; 
Equator) those subscribing to this free system would have received a 
Satellite Bleaching Alert indicating temperature levels have approached 
stressful intensities over the past week.  Not only are these islands 
and some of the surrounding Kiribati Republic, just across the 
International Dateline to the west, within a fairly large "HotSpot, but 
the Degree Heating Week levels are inching upwards close to "3" at this 
time.  NOAA has monitoring stations at these uninhabited islands, but 
data are presently recorded and not presently being transmitted to us 
via satellite in real-time.

Similar levels were seen in 2004 for this same area at this time but 
this year's levels are not nearly as high as was observed by our data in 
2002 when Kiribati sustained heavy bleaching.

Our 24 index sites around the globe can be found at:
http://www.osdpd.noaa.gov/PSB/EPS/CB_indices/coral_bleaching_indices.html

Current HotSpot and Degree Heating Week charts, HDF data, and GoogleEarth products can be found at:
http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/satellite/index.html

Please reporting any bleaching events (or non-events) at 
http://www.reefbase.org/input/bleachingreport/index.asp

-- 
**** <>< ******* <>< ******* <>< ******* <>< ******* 
Alan E. Strong, Ph.D.
NOAA Coral Reef Watch, Senior Consultant
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NOAA Coral Reef Watch Program
  e-mail: Alan.E.Strong at noaa.gov
url: coralreefwatch.noaa.gov

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