Coral Bleaching...and the Hurricanes

Of interest to those who are cognizant of the corelation of water temps with coral bleaching...and powerful hurricanes.

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2005/s2526.htm

Quote:

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Oct. 25, 2005 — NOAA reports that a major coral bleaching event is underway in the Caribbean and may result in significant coral death in much of the region. Currently, the bleaching is centered in waters adjacent to the U.S. Virgin Islands. Reports of bleaching have come in from the Florida Keys and Texas' Flower Garden Banks in the north, to Tobago and Barbados in the southern Antilles, to Panama and Costa Rica in the west.

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I haven't seen bleaching in the Flower Garden's before, nor did I see much evidence of it in Puerto Rico when I dove there years ago. (Bonaire's bleaching was terrible at the time--very little color at all along its entire reef system.)