Braddock Linsley
New
Dear Ocean/Diving Enthusiasts ,
I am writing to ask you to spread the word about a new citizen science project to monitor coral bleaching and reef health world-wide. As you are probably aware, a global-scale bleaching event is underway associated the current 2016 El Niño event. Under temperature stress, the pigmented dinoflagellate zooxanthellae symbionts living in the coral can produce oxidizing substances that are harmful to the coral and they are expelled. The loss of the pigmented zooxanthellae leaves the corals white or “bleached” in appearance. Most corals are eventually recolonized by new zooxanthellae over the following months, but if that doesn’t happen, they can die. Through the direct observation of coral reefs by motivated citizen scientists, divers, surfers and other ocean enthusiasts, we hope to help better understand the bleaching and recovery process and to also document where reefs remain healthy.
We have termed the project “Bleach Patrol". Bleach Patrol is currently a collaboration between scientists at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, the social networking app goFlow and the World Surf League. The goal of the project is to use this smart phone app to record a few simple observations about coral bleaching extent and percent live coral cover at geo-located sites, in real time, by incorporating reports from citizen scientists around the world. Users can also upload photo’s and notes about what they have observed. Reports can also be directly posted through our web site. All data is to be made publicly available.
The modified goFlow app is now available for free download and we are in the process of contacting potentially interested groups world-wide. A one page project summary sheet is attached to this message.
We hope you can help spread the word and perhaps upload your own observations either via the goFlow app or our web site.
Links for downloading the free goFlow app:
www.goflow.me/uct
Links for more information about the Project
www.ldeo.columbia.edu/bleachpatrol
Join the Fight to Save Our Precious Coral Reefs
Link for downloading the Coral Bleach Patrol 1 page summary sheet:
Bleach Patrol Summary Sheet
Please contact me with any questions or post questions/comments to
bleachpatrol@ldeo.columbia.edu .
Many thanks
Brad Linsley
Dr. Braddock K. Linsley
Lamont Research Professor
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University
Director, Stable Isotope Laboratory, New Core Lab 212
Office Geoscience 104
61 Route 9W
Palisades, NY 10964
Office: 845-365-8306
blinsley@ldeo.columbia.edu
Brad Linsley HOME
I am writing to ask you to spread the word about a new citizen science project to monitor coral bleaching and reef health world-wide. As you are probably aware, a global-scale bleaching event is underway associated the current 2016 El Niño event. Under temperature stress, the pigmented dinoflagellate zooxanthellae symbionts living in the coral can produce oxidizing substances that are harmful to the coral and they are expelled. The loss of the pigmented zooxanthellae leaves the corals white or “bleached” in appearance. Most corals are eventually recolonized by new zooxanthellae over the following months, but if that doesn’t happen, they can die. Through the direct observation of coral reefs by motivated citizen scientists, divers, surfers and other ocean enthusiasts, we hope to help better understand the bleaching and recovery process and to also document where reefs remain healthy.
We have termed the project “Bleach Patrol". Bleach Patrol is currently a collaboration between scientists at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, the social networking app goFlow and the World Surf League. The goal of the project is to use this smart phone app to record a few simple observations about coral bleaching extent and percent live coral cover at geo-located sites, in real time, by incorporating reports from citizen scientists around the world. Users can also upload photo’s and notes about what they have observed. Reports can also be directly posted through our web site. All data is to be made publicly available.
The modified goFlow app is now available for free download and we are in the process of contacting potentially interested groups world-wide. A one page project summary sheet is attached to this message.
We hope you can help spread the word and perhaps upload your own observations either via the goFlow app or our web site.
Links for downloading the free goFlow app:
www.goflow.me/uct
Links for more information about the Project
www.ldeo.columbia.edu/bleachpatrol
Join the Fight to Save Our Precious Coral Reefs
Link for downloading the Coral Bleach Patrol 1 page summary sheet:
Bleach Patrol Summary Sheet
Please contact me with any questions or post questions/comments to
bleachpatrol@ldeo.columbia.edu .
Many thanks
Brad Linsley
Dr. Braddock K. Linsley
Lamont Research Professor
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University
Director, Stable Isotope Laboratory, New Core Lab 212
Office Geoscience 104
61 Route 9W
Palisades, NY 10964
Office: 845-365-8306
blinsley@ldeo.columbia.edu
Brad Linsley HOME
