[Coral-List] bleaching report

[shashank Keshavmurthy]

Dear Listers
With great unhappiness I am reporting a bleaching
event in a high-latitude non-reefal coral
community in Japan.  I started working with these
communities 5 years back, and for the 1st time in
the last 5 years I am looking at bleaching and a
possible disease outbreak...

Bleaching could be observed from the beginning of
August and is still present.

The location is the Nishidomari (N 320 46’ 45”
and E 1320 43’ 59”) and adjacent coral
communities.  We are looking at the bleaching of
most of the corals including the major ones
(Acropora formosa and Acropora hyacinthus) from a
depth of 1 m upto a depth of 6 m and in some
places even at a depth of 10 m.

The sea temperatures from last one month is
hovering between 28-30 C... sometimes going above
30 C.

We are also noticing what we believe to be White
Syndrome in the colonies of Acropora hyacinthus
at 10 m depth (further investigations are
ongoing..).  

People in the field including the dive shops
people around here are reporting extensive
presence of what they and I believe to be white
syndrome at least from 2-3 coral communities
adjacent to  the Nishidomari coral community.

Normally corals here do not bleach..I believe it
may be due to the effect of 3 back to back
Typhoons for this typhoon season in Japan, that
hit the coast this year making the corals weak
and vulnerable to sea temperatures....

I am hoping that the corals will be back in work
in the coming months...keeping my fingers crossed
on that!!

Jim.... is there a possibility to get the data on
DHW for this area particular area in Japan?

Till now, white syndrome was reported in Okinawan
reefs, but alas...my fears have come true..both
for bleaching and disease....

I will possibly upload the photos (both bleaching
and white syndrome) in the coming weeks....

With Regards
Shashank




"Role of Infinitely Small in Nature is Infinitely Large" - Louis Pasteur
====================================
Keshavmurthy Shashank
Research Student, Graduate School of Kuroshio Science
Laboratory of Environmental Conservation
Kochi University, Monobe Campus, B 200
Nankoku, Kochi, 783-8502, Japan
Mobile: 81 08039253889
My WebPage: http://web.mac.com/coralresearch/iWeb/shashank/Welcome.html


       
____________________________________________________________________________________
Boardwalk for $500? In 2007? Ha! Play Monopoly Here and Now (it's updated for today's economy) at Yahoo! Games.
http://get.games.yahoo.com/proddesc?gamekey=monopolyherenow