Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1998 15:39:35 -0400 To: coral-list@coral.aoml.noaa.gov From: Alina Szmant Subject: Bleaching in the FLORIDA KEYS Just when you think you understand the system.... This week we noticed early signs of recovery of bleached corals at an inshore patch reef known as the Rocks, where the corals have been SEVERELY bleached since early June, and where water temperatures over 32 oC were recorded with a Ryan thermograph. This has happened about the same time as corals (same species) have begun to bleach (only since mid-late August) at offshore reef sites such at Little Grecian and Key Largo Dry Rocks. At this time, there does not appear to have been much bleaching mortality at the inshore site despite the prolonged and severe state of bleaching there. ********************************************** Dr. Alina M. Szmant Coral Reef Research Group RSMAS-MBF University of Miami 4600 Rickenbacker Cswy. Miami FL 33149 E-mail: ASZMANT@RSMAS.MIAMI.EDU **********************************************