Patterns of Sublethal Coral Bleaching in the Northern Florida Reef Tract
Lirman D, Fong PD, Curry RW, Baker A. Patterns of Sublethal Coral Bleaching in the Northern Florida Reef Tract
Bleaching of hard corals on Elkhorn Reef, Biscayne National Park, coincided with both high summer temperatures (monthly average >30 °C in August) and reduced salinity (as low as 30 ppt). The severity of bleaching increased from August (mean= 19%) to September (mean = 40 %). The percent of the coral tissue that was bleached varied among coral species according to the following sensitivity patterns: fire corals (Millepora spp.) = Agaricia spp.> Porites porites> Acropora palmata =Porites astreojdes. Although fire corals were the first hard coral species to show bleaching, and bleached to the greatest degree, they also showed the fastest recovery. The hierarchy of bleaching intensity among habitats was: rubble zone = reef-flat > fore-reef. It is hypothesized that the rubble and reef-flat zones may have been specially sensitive to bleaching because they were the most damaged during Hurricane Andrew.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Lirman, Diego; Fong, Peggy; Curry, Richard; Baker, Andrew
- Units
- BISC
- Keywords
- Animal Studies, Coral, Disturbance, Health, Percent Cover, Recovery