NOTES:    13 DEC 97 -- HotSpots

SSTs within the El Nino "HotSpot" continue to show 
values 2-3 deg C above the warmest climatological SST 
for the ENTIRE year.  The HotSpot envelope is slowly
migrating down the coast of South America this month 
and "potentially" bleaching conditions have finally begun 
to surround the Galapagos -- although we had not 
recieved any official confirmation that bleaching has 
begun there.

In the eastern hemisphere, a fairly large cell of high 
temperature water can be seen between eastern areas of 
Indonesia and NW Australia -- has anyone seen evidence
of bleaching in these waters?

Happy Holidays...

AES