[Coral-List] Bleaching Potential Beginning: Start of thermal stress in greater Caribbean, western Pacific

[Mark Eakin]

It's that time of the year again and northern hemisphere waters are  
starting to warm for this year's bleaching season.

Greater Caribbean:
Some warming has begun in this region, but little thermal stress  
accumulation has been recorded.  Degree Heating Week (DHW) values are  
low around the Flower Garden Banks, Florida Bay, and the Bahamas.  At  
this time we only expect these to rise around Florida Bay at this  
time.  Continued warm weather and a lack of tropical storm activity  
suggests mild stress may continue across the region.  Our new seasonal  
bleaching outlook suggests that there may be some bleaching in this  
region this year, but mass bleaching is not expected.

Western Pacific/East Asia:
Accumulation of thermal stress has begun in earnest around Korea and  
southern Japan.  DHW values have exceeded 4 in some areas offshore  
from Kyushu and accumulation is beginning along the Ryukyus.  Some  
accumulation of thermal stress has begun in the South China Sea as  
well.  If these spread they may impact reefs in Hainan, the Dongsha /  
Paracel Islands and northwestern Philippines.  This is consistent with  
our new seasonal coral bleaching outlook that indicates some potential  
for widespread bleaching in this region in the next few months.  based  
on the new outlook product, conditions are not expected to reach the  
severe levels seen along East Asia last year.

Micronesia:
Some warming has begun in this region, but no thermal stress  
accumulation has been recorded.  Our new seasonal bleaching outlook  
suggests that there may be some bleaching in this region this year,  
but mass bleaching is not expected.  This is similar to the stress  
levels expected in the Caribbean this year.


Our new seasonal bleaching outlooks can be found at:
http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/satellite/bleachingoutlook/index.html

Current HotSpot and Degree Heating Week charts and data formatted for
HDF and Google Earth can be found at:
http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/satellite/index.html

Time series graphics for index sites can be found at:
http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/satellite/current/sst_series_24reefs.html
and
http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/satellite/current/experimental_products.html

You can sign up for automated bleaching alerts at:
http://coralreefwatch-satops.noaa.gov/SBA.html

Please report bleaching events (or non-events) at:
http://www.reefbase.org/contribute/bleachingreport.aspx


Cheers,
Mark

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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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