Mass Expulsion of Zooxanthcllae from Jamaican Reef Communities after Hurricane Flora
Goreau T. 1964. Mass Expulsion of Zooxanthcllae from Jamaican Reef Communities after Hurricane Flora. Science. 145(3630):383 - 386
Very extensive bleaching of coral communities occurred after severe flood rains over eastern Jamaica. The loss of color was due to the mass expulsion of zooxanthellae from the tissues of Millepora, Scleractinia Zoanthidea, and Actiniaria living in the shallow reef zones. The polyps of the bleached individuals continued to expand and feed in their normal fashion. It is believed that expulsion of the zooxanthellae was induced by contact with water of lowered osmotic pressure on the surface of the sea, rather than by sedimentation or fouling. Regeneration of the depleted zooxanthellae populations was very slow; many of the bleached colonies survived well despite the near total absence of zooxanthellae from their tissues for over two months.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Goreau, Thomas
- Units
- SFCN
- Keywords
- Bleaching, die off, Disease, Infection, sickness