Coral mass bleaching and reef temperatures at Navassa Island, 2006

摘要: Abstract Bleaching and associated mortality is an extreme threat to the persistence of coral populations in projected warming regime next few decades. Recent evidence indicates that thermal bleaching thresholds may be affected by water quality gradients. The unexpected encounter a mass event at remote, uninhabited Caribbean island (Navassa) during routine reef assessment cruise November 2006 provided opportunity characterize responses exposure oceanic area with negligible continental influence or human impact on quality. taxa most susceptible were Agaricia spp. Montastraea faveolata . Siderastraea siderea , Diploria Porites porites intermediately affected, while astreoides cavernosa minimally was observed Acropora palmata prevalence (colonies > 4 cm diameter) ranged from 0.16 0.63 among sites. Deeper sites (between 18 37 m) had significantly higher than shallow ( In situ loggers indicated temperatures over 30 °C initiated mid-August, deeper early September, persistent all until mid-October. Long term (1983–2007) climatologies constructed AVHRR SSTs suggest Navassa corresponded greater intensity duration warm temperature anomalies occurred 2005, for which no observations (bleaching nor temperature) are available.