[Coral-List] Caribbean-wide Heat Stress Event

[Derek Manzello - NOAA Federal]

Dear esteemed colleagues,



NOAA Coral Reef Watch (CRW) <https://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/> has been
monitoring the developing heat stress in the Caribbean. Sea surface
temperatures are as high, or higher than ever before in the satellite
record, and the accumulation of heat stress has begun earlier than ever
before for most locations. At this time, 32 of the 34 satellite Regional
Virtual Stations <https://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/product/vs/data.php> in
the Caribbean/NW Atlantic are at an Alert Level 1 or higher, which means
that bleaching is expected at these locations; 21 of these stations are at
an Alert Level 2, which is when severe, widespread bleaching and mortality
are expected to begin. The modeled Four-Month Coral Bleaching Heat Stress
Outlook
<https://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/satellite/bleachingoutlook_cfs/outlook_cfs.php>
predicts Alert Level 2 conditions will develop for most Caribbean sites by
the end of September 2023.



To date, coral bleaching has been confirmed in Florida, Belize, Panama,
Mexico (both sides of the Yucatan peninsula), Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the
U.S. Virgin Islands.



We are likely in the midst of another Caribbean-wide mass bleaching event.



We are reaching out to you for two reasons:



First, NOAA CRW is seeking to collect observations of coral bleaching/no
bleaching.  These data are important for us to determine how well the CRW
coral bleaching heat stress products are performing, and to determine if
any modifications to our products are necessary for certain locations. At
the moment, we are seeking any information from sites in the Lesser
Antilles, as we have yet to receive any information on the state of the
corals in these islands.



There are multiple means by which a contributor can submit data, and more
information can be found at here
<https://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/satellite/research/coral_bleaching_report.php>.




Second, to assist our end-users in Florida, CRW developed single-pixel
Virtual Stations for key nursery and restoration sites
<https://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/product/vs_single_pixel_exp/florida_keys.php>
along the entirety of Florida’s Coral Reef. These stations consolidate the
CRW heat stress metrics for individual, 5km x 5km satellite pixels
overlaying these reef sites. This allows end-users to compare/contrast heat
stress levels across sites, as a decision support tool for prioritization
of monitoring, management, and rescue efforts.



We aim to develop single-pixel Virtual Stations for key nursery,
restoration, and long-term monitoring sites outside of U.S. jurisdictions,
so that the CRW products are most useful at the necessary scale for
end-users like yourselves.  Please reach out to us if you seek to
collaborate on developing these stations for your region of interest.



Finally, please forward this email to colleagues who you feel may have
observations to contribute, or who require further information about this
event. Please contact us at coralreefwatch at noaa.gov if you have any
questions/concerns about sharing your data, as well as the mechanisms to do
so.  We welcome all collaborations and look forward to the opportunity to
work with and better serve you, as we all cope with this increasingly
severe, large-scale coral bleaching event.



With kind regards,
Derek

-- 
Derek P. Manzello, Ph.D.
Coordinator, NOAA Coral Reef Watch
Center for Satellite Applications and Research
Satellite Oceanography & Climatology Division
e-mail: derek.manzello at noaa.gov
url: coralreefwatch.noaa.gov

NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction (NCWCP)
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