Variation in Acropora palmata Bleaching Across Benthic Zones at Buck Island Reef National Monument (St. Croix, USVI) During the 2005 Thermal Stress Event

摘要: At Buck Island Reef National Monument (BIRNM) in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, Acropora palmata (Lamarck, 1816) experienced extensive bleaching 2005. Water temperatures at BIRNM 2005 were higher than any time since least 1991, and exceeded the threshold by over 2 °C, causing coral bleaching. Forty-four A. colonies three sites sampled before, during, after thermal stress event. Additionally, randomly located on reef shelf surveyed to extend results a larger portion of BIRNM; these during backreef benthic zone exhibited different response event those elsewhere BIRNM: bleached earlier suffered greater tissue loss elsewhere. We hypothesized that increased water temperature coupled with reduced flow light penetration caused mortality locations. Since is resistant resilient events, areas are poor focal area for marine protected areas.