Grand Cayman coral - white like snow

[Saboteur]

Did a couple shore dives on GC today, LOTS of corals are white… looks like it snowed. . This was at Sunset house. Heading out on the boat tomorrow. I hope it isn’t as bad elsewhere. Water is 88F according to computers.

 

[tursiops]

Did a couple shore dives on GC today, LOTS of corals are white… looks like it snowed. . This was at Sunset house. Heading out on the boat tomorrow. I hope it isn’t as bad elsewhere. Water is 88F according to computers.

Bleaching is likely starting at 86...

 

[keyshunter]

We have lots of bleached coral in the Keys as well. After an entire summer of water temps of 86-92, I hope they can recover.

 

[Saboteur]

Having done several dives this week, to my eye some
of the bleached corals are not necessarily “white” but sometimes have a slight pastel yellow, green or lavender hue… kind of pretty.

 

[Joneill]

Did a couple shore dives on GC today, LOTS of corals are white… looks like it snowed. . This was at Sunset house. Heading out on the boat tomorrow. I hope it isn’t as bad elsewhere. Water is 88F according to computers.

Same observations for me last week in Little Cayman - sad! Water temps on my DC's were showing 87/88 even down at 100 feet. most were bright white - some seemed past that and appeared to be dying.

Here is some throw away, unedited footage showing the extent of bleaching that is evident on both the deep (70-80ft +) and shallow (25-40ft ) reefs:

 

[deeper thoughts]

We have lots of bleached coral in the Keys as well. After an entire summer of water temps of 86-92, I hope they can recover.

I have seem some color returning here In the upper keys
Hopefully take anorher look Monday

 

[Johnoly]

most were bright white - some seemed past that and appeared to be dying.......................evident on both the deep (70-80ft +) and shallow (25-40ft ) reefs:

WOW,,,That's really alot of bleaching. If you hear of a 'recovery' on your spots later, please update the thread.

 

[Divedoggie]

The problem is not the singular issue of bleaching.
The Cayman Islands were hammered with SCTLD.

Stony coral tissue loss disease - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

This is exacerbated by development along coastlines which destroys mangroves, and also causes extra nutrients from fertilizer and treated waste, in the water and increased algae growth. At the same time, lionfish hunt the small algae eater fish and reef cleaners like parrot fish. Throw in warmer temps, plastics, sunscreen and careless touching and finning, and the fragile ecosystem can’t survive.

Mangroves are the nurseries for the small reef fish. Mangroves also prevent erosion, and they filter silt and other solids out of the water. Developers don’t like mangroves. They block ocean access. They aren’t pretty sand beaches. But when they are gone, there isn’t any place for the smallest fish and creatures to safely grow and mature. There has been epic loss of mangroves around tourist areas and agricultural areas.

Take a close look at the Caribbean reefs. There are no more micro habitats teaming with tiny colorful fish.

The food chain and the delicate balance has been thrown off, starting with the smallest creatures.the microhabitats are covered with algae and there aren’t any creatures left to clean it up.

This is happening everywhere in The Caribbean. I saw it in Akumal and Riviera Maya and Belize starting about 10 years ago. I’ve witnessed it in Cayman, in T&C, Bonaire, Curacao, Cozumel, Roatan, and more.

Stony Corral Tissue Loss Disease was first identified in Florida about 10 years ago, and likely along with currents, has spread by the ballast of cruise ships. Some reefs are pretty much completely dead, like Cayman. Others are dying.

So, yes the warm waters and bleaching is a problem, but the problem is complex and not solely tied to rising temps.

 

[Joneill]

The problem is not the singular issue of bleaching.
The Cayman Islands were hammered with SCTLD.

Stony coral tissue loss disease - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

This is exacerbated by development along coastlines which destroys mangroves, and also causes extra nutrients from fertilizer and treated waste, in the water and increased algae growth. At the same time, lionfish hunt the small algae eater fish and reef cleaners like parrot fish. Throw in warmer temps, plastics, sunscreen and careless touching and finning, and the fragile ecosystem can’t survive.

Mangroves are the nurseries for the small reef fish. Mangroves also prevent erosion, and they filter silt and other solids out of the water. Developers don’t like mangroves. They block ocean access. They aren’t pretty sand beaches. But when they are gone, there isn’t any place for the smallest fish and creatures to safely grow and mature. There has been epic loss of mangroves around tourist areas and agricultural areas.

Take a close look at the Caribbean reefs. There are no more micro habitats teaming with tiny colorful fish.

The food chain and the delicate balance has been thrown off, starting with the smallest creatures.the microhabitats are covered with algae and there aren’t any creatures left to clean it up.

This is happening everywhere in The Caribbean. I saw it in Akumal and Riviera Maya and Belize starting about 10 years ago. I’ve witnessed it in Cayman, in T&C, Bonaire, Curacao, Cozumel, Roatan, and more.

Stony Corral Tissue Loss Disease was first identified in Florida about 10 years ago, and likely along with currents, has spread by the ballast of cruise ships. Some reefs are pretty much completely dead, like Cayman. Others are dying.

So, yes the warm waters and bleaching is a problem, but the problem is complex and not solely tied to rising temps.

There is no SCTLD in Little Cayman so far - this was all bleaching!

 

[boulderjohn]

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