Coral Bleaching

[bermudaskink]

Anyone noticed a lot of bleached coral this year yet? Here in Bermuda a lot of our fire coral (Millipora sp.) has bleached. This hydrozoan (not a true coral) bleaches before hard corals and up here in bermuda we're so far north that our corals don't often bleach as much as they do in other parts of the world. But this year I've noticed the Millipora looks really bad so I am wondering how bad other reefs are right now. Please post a message if you have seen a lot of bleaching where you have been diving. I'd be interested to know and I think others would to.

Bleaching due to rising sea surface temperatures is the greatest threat to the survival of coral reefs.;-0

http://www.reefbase.org

http://www.osdpd.noaa.gov/PSB/EPS/SST/climohot.html

http://www.marinebiology.org/coralbleaching.htm

 

[ReefGuy]

I'm definately not an expert, but I've kept reef tanks for over 6 years now, and have followed this a bit. I was surprised by the amount of bleached corals in the keys I saw just after I was certified (in feb), but I don't know if this was usual or not.

 

[BIGSAGE136]

I'm a local. Born and raised in Miami. Parents are from Nassau. The coral is getting worse. Period. I took a trip recently to freeport to dive with some family. I was shocked. My family, saddened by this as well, jokingly sum it up in one word. Progress. The population has boomed. We pollute. End of story. They say 5000 people died in France this year from the heat. On the other hand global warming is a pipe dream to the people that can do something about it. Hopefully the world will wake up some day and start to care.

Safe diving. Believe it or not its disappearing fast.

 

[Gymnothorax]

It is due to the rising water temperatures from the depleated ozone.