========================= Bleaching Report =========================== ************************************************************************ ************** Bleaching in the Southern Arabian Gulf **************** ************************************************************************ Report from: Richard E. Dodge Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center Florida, USA Date: 23 September 2002 "A research team consisting of scientists from the Dubai Municipality/National Coral Reef Institute (Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, USA)/UAE Environmental Research and Wildlife Development Agency/Karl-Franzens- University Graz/Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam found significant bleaching on coral reefs in the Arabian Gulf at the nearshore site of Jebel Ali (Dubai, between Jebel Ali port and Ras Hasyan) and the offshore island Sir Abu Nuair. "In Jebel Ali all corals were bleached white, with only few individuals (among them Acropora downingi recruits) partially bleached or unbleached. According to reports by DM and ERWDA, the bleaching started during the last week of August when sea surface temperatures reached up to 37 degrees near Dubai. In Sir Abu Nuair, the bleaching was more patchy and heaviest among massive corals, less among Acropora spp. No significant mortality was found yet, and recovery is still possible. Over 90% of bleached corals still had tissues and had not yet incurred even partial mortality. At the same time, no bleaching was observed on reefs at the same latitude in the Arabian Sea on Oman's Musandam Peninsula near Ras Lima and Geziret Lima. "The team was led by Mohammed Abdelrahman Hassan Deshgooni of Dubai Municipality, Nasser Shadoor of ERWDA, and Bernhard Riegl of the National Coral Reef Institute of Nova Southeastern University." ======================================================================== NOAA's Coral Reef Watch Project NOAA/NESDIS 27 September 2002