Coral bleaching in the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2005 and 2006
Woody K, Atkinson A, Clark R, Jeffrey C, Lundgren I, Miller J, Monaco M, Muller E, Patterson M, Rogers C, Smith T, Spitzak T, Waara R, Whelan K, Witcher B, Wright A, South Florida/Caribbean Network. 2008. Coral bleaching in the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2005 and 2006. Pages 68–72. In Wilkinson C and Souter D (ed). Status of Caribbean coral reefs after bleaching and hurricanes in 2005. Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network, and Reef and Rainforest Research Centre. Townsville, Australia
The first indications of potential thermal stress to the corals of the USVI occurred in July 2005 with observations of bleached corals, and in August when satellite information provided by the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) Coral Reef Watch indicated that sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the north-eastern Caribbean were higher than normal. Temperatures continued to rise, producing more thermal stress during this single period than during the previous 20 years combined (Coral Reef Watch 2005, accessed 19 November 2007). The bleaching threshold of 29.5°C (83.3°F) was exceeded for about 12 weeks prior to 12 November 2005, with SSTs reaching just over 30°C; a full degree warmer than the previous year. This chapter discusses how monitoring efforts in the USVI captured the bleaching event of 2005 and demonstrates that several methods used to monitor the health of the reefs arrived at the same conclusion: coral cover on USVI reefs is declining.
- Type
- Published Report Section
- Authors
- Woody, Kimberly; Atkinson, Andrea; Clark, Randy; Jeffrey, Chris; Lundgren, Ian; Miller, Jeff; Monaco, Mark; Muller, Erinn; Patterson, Matt; Rogers, Caroline; Smith, Tyler; Spitzak, Tony; Waara, Rob; Whelan, Kevin; Witcher, Brian; Wright, Alexandra; South Florida/Caribbean Network
- Date of Issue
- 2008
- Units
- BUIS , VIIS
- Keywords
- bleach, Coral, Coral Reef, SFCN, South Florida/Caribbean Network, Virgin Islands