=========================  Bleaching Report  ===========================

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***************** Bleaching in U.S. Virgin Islands *********************
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Report from:  Zandy Hillis-Starr
              Buck Island Reef National Monument
              National Park Service

Date:         27 October 2003

" ... [I] had an opp to go out to BUIS [Buck Island Reef National 
Monument] yesterday with ... and yes BUIS is bleaching too.

"Eight or nine species! Bleaching was sighted at the underwater trail 
east end of BUIS inside lagoon and outside lagoon along the barrier 
forereef.

"Worse to least in degree bleached ...

 Mila comp.
 Porites divercata
 Monastrea annularis - both forms
 Dipl strigosa
 Sid siderea
 Agarcia agricites
 Diploria labyrinthiformes

and many juvenile Apal recruits both those were very blotchy and 
patchy and I am not sure if that isn't the other blotch disease, 
snails, or fire worms.

"Depths ranged from 1 to 4 meters for all coral observed bleaching. 
Interestingly the Pdivercata was deep at 3 meters I have a picture 
to send ... Also fingers were completely bleached on the topside 
and still pigmented underneath. All polyps were extended at 1400, 
day, still bright sun. Visibility was fair about 10 m. Dstrigosa 
bleaching ranged from pale and just light ridges to totally bleached." 


[A photo of bleached Porities sp (either Pporites or Pdivercata) taken 
by Zandy Hillis-Starr is availalbe at 
http://orbit-net.nesdis.noaa.gov/orad/sub/bleaching_report/Porites_sp_bleaching_at_BUIS.jpg]

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NOAA's Coral Reef Watch Project
NOAA/NESDIS

27 October 2003