[Coral-List] Cyanobacteria outbreak

[Billy Causey]

Dear Alberto Acosta Moreno,
Thank you for sending me the link to your photos of the cyanobacteria
outbreak that you observed on Providencia Island.  I owe you and the other
coral listers a clarification and update on the post that I made about
observations of cyanobacteria just recently observed at the Flower Garden
banks National Marine Sanctuary.

The filamentous (stringy) cyanobacteria that you observed and photgraphed
is not what I observed at the Flower Garden banks NMS.  However, it is very
similar to a species that we see sometimes in the Florida Keys, especially
in the summer on the Gulf of Mexico side.

What we observed at the FGBNMS was more of a mat form of cyanobasteria ...
and I believe some call it a "constortium of cynobacteria."  It appears
very much like a very thick purpleish band of "Black Band" disease, but
growing over the bottom.  As I stated in my post, we have observed the
matted cynobacterium previously in the Florida Keys, but the most memorable
outbreak was in 1986 when it was even growing across the sand bottom
between the coral spurs and grooves.

Hope my previous post didn't send anyone on a wild goose chase ....  I'll
explain this statement for my international friends and colleagues if you
contact me directly by email.

Cheers, Billy



On Thu, Nov 1, 2012 at 1:48 PM, Luis Alberto Acosta Moreno <
laacosta at javeriana.edu.co> wrote:

> Dear Listers
> Hello. In a recent expedition where we aimed to evaluate coral reef state
> at the Providencia island, Colombian Caribbean, we saw an unusual
> cyanobacteria outbreak.
> The cyanobacteria fully covered the reef bottom (up to 50 cm high) as well
> as the water column of some reef areas at the NW of the island (close to
> downtown). Different morphotypes also covered large areas of sand bottom
> and seagrass around the island.
> I have some videos that I can share if someone is interested to help us
> with this environmental problem.
>
> Best wishes,
>
> Alberto Acosta
> Professor
> Biology Department
> Pontificia Universidad Javeriana
> Colombia
>
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-- 
Billy D. Causey, Ph.D.
Regional Director
Southeast Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Region
NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
33 East Quay Road
Key West, Florida 33040

Office:  305 809 4670 (ex 234)
Mobile: 305 395 0150
Fax:     305 293 5011
Email:  Billy.Causey at noaa.gov

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