[Coral-List] Cold Water Bleaching

[Alan E Strong]

As many of you reading this list may have seen by now....there appears to have been an extended period of cold water bleaching in the southernmost region of the Gulf of California this past winter [late].

Several regions around the globe continue to have some rather strong anomalously cold SSTs [note entire western North American continent, GBR, Indian Ocean, etc.:

http://www.osdpd.noaa.gov/PSB/EPS/SST/data/anomnight.5.15.2008.gif

It was the early March conditions that appear to have been primarily responsible for the Gulf of California cold water bleaching event:

http://www.osdpd.noaa.gov/PSB/EPS/SST/data/anomnight.3.6.2008.gif

We are wondering if other coral-listers may have witnessed cold water bleaching in their regions during the past year or two....and if they did, how was the coral's recovery from this event.

Thanks,
Al

-- 
**** <>< ******* <>< ******* <>< ******* <>< ******* 
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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