Too warm in the Indian Ocean?

[jeff99]

Hi everyone

Just got back (two weeks ago) from a trip to the Maldives. Did 21 dives and used my new computer for the first time. Since I got back and downloaded my profiles I noticed that the recorded temperatures seem to be a bit on the high side. The lowest I recorded was 29 deg C at depth. ( That was just on one dive - all the others were 30 deg C ) Surface temperatures were from 30-32 deg C, same as the air temp. I did think at the time that the water seemed to be as warm as in 1998, but not having been late April-early May before I have nothing to compare it to.

Am I right in thinking that at and above 29 deg C the coral starts to expel its' symbiote? Does anyone have any idea whether this is so or am I being a bit paranoid? The other thing I suppose, is that the computer could be faulty, but both myself and my GF thought that the water did seem to be rather warm. ( We were there in November 2005 ) Hope I'm wrong.

Jeff

 

[Bowmouth]

Yes, having 30 degrees Celcius water temps for long periods of time may cause some corals to bleach and eventually die. The surface water temps in Myanmar and Thailand last year and this year have been quite high as well (up to 31 degrees Celcius) but fortunately are there plenty of periods with "cold" (27-28 degrees Celcius) water upwellings and regular tidal current movement that have sofar prevented serious bleaching in the Andaman Sea.