[Coral-List] Update: Bleaching Potential around Melanesia and Australia

[Mark Eakin]

Melanesia: Bleaching Warning in Fiji-Beqa
Warming in Melanesia continues.  DHWs now exceed 8 in some areas to  
the east of Papua New Guinea and around the Solomon Islands.  The  
region of heat stress may be contracting slightly around the Solomon  
Islands, but warming is now evident to the south of Samoa, American  
Samoa, and Fiji.  A bleaching warning has now been issued for Fiji-Beqa.

Australia: Heat Stress is Subsiding on GBR
Fortunately, the center of anomalously warm ocean temperatures has  
moved farther south along the eastern Australian coast.

The region of warming evidenced by HotSpot values over 1 degree C is  
now largely south and east of the Gold Coast, so the immediate threat  
to the GBR has ended.  However, early warming such as this has  
frequently preceded bleaching stress late in the austral summer.  The  
warming in the Timor Sea has also abated.


According to our past data,  some bleaching is likely at DHW values  
of 4 or above and large-scale bleaching and some mortality is likely  
above 8. We encourage researchers in these regions to watch out for  
signs of bleaching.

Current HotSpot and Degree Heating Week charts can be found at:  
http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/satellite/index.html
Improved time series graphics for index sites can be found at http:// 
coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/satellite/current/sstdhwsba_series_24reefs.html
You can sign up for automated bleaching alerts at http:// 
coralreefwatch-satops.noaa.gov/SBA.html

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


Regards,
Mark

------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
------------------------
C. Mark Eakin, Ph.D.
Coordinator, NOAA Coral Reef Watch

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Center for Satellite Applications and Research
Satellite Oceanography & Climate Division
e-mail: mark.eakin at noaa.gov
url: coralreefwatch.noaa.gov

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Silver Spring, MD 20910-3226
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