[Coral-List] Subject: Coral bleaching in the Tobago Cays, St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Clare Morrall
CMorrall at sgu.edu
Wed Oct 29 11:10:35 EST 2003
Dear All,
Discolouration, suspected to be bleaching, was noted in a range of
cnidarians while snorkelling on shallow patch reefs at the Tobago Cays
(approximately 12?38. 024’N, 061?21 ‘W) St. Vincent and the Grenadines
(adjacent to the island of Mayreau, between Union Island and Canouan) on
October 26th 2003. Reef patches observed extended from approximately 0.5 m
from the surface to a maximum of 4 m. Species affected included: Agaricia
sp. (entirely bleached colonies noted), Montastrea annularis (patchy
colouration spread over large colonies, totally white regions scarce),
Acropora palmata (one spectacular stand 0.5 m x 0.5 m with apparent total
pigment loss from 80% of the coral), Condylactis gigantea (a number of
transparent, pigment free specimens noted), Palythoa caribaeorum (many very
pale patches seen).
Black band disease was observed on a number of Diploria strigosa colonies
and on one M. annularis colony. Aspergilliois like affects were noted on a
single Gorgonia ventalina specimen.
Regards
Clare Morrall
ps apologies for my initial unviewable submission.
Dr Clare Morrall
Chair of Life Sciences/
Pre-Veterinary Programme Director/
St. George's University
P.O. Box 7
St. George's
Grenada
West Indies
Tel: (473)-444-4175 ext. 2360
Fax: (473) 439 1835
email:cmorrall at sgu.edu
More information about the Coral-List
mailing list