Mote Marine Laboratory / Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Florida Keys BleachWatch Program

EXAMPLES OF BLEACHING

Common Name: Common Name: Knobby Cactus Coral Staghorn Coral

Coral Type: Coral Type: Fleshy Branching

Bleaching Severity: Bleaching Severity: No Bleaching No Bleaching

Mycetophyllia ferox NO BLEACHING Acropora cervicornis Common Name: Common Name: Flower Coral Lettuce Coral

Coral Type: Coral Type: Flower / Cup Leaf / Plate / Sheet

Bleaching Severity: Bleaching Severity: No Bleaching No Bleaching

Eusmilia fastigiana Undaria agaricites

PALING BLEACHED Common Name: Common Name: Massive Starlet Coral Finger Coral

Coral Type: Coral Type: Mound and Boulder Branching

Bleaching Severity: Bleaching Severity: Paling Bleached

Siderastrea siderea Porites porites

Common Name: Common Name: Boulder Brain Coral Mountainous Star Coral

Coral Type: Coral Type: Mound and Boulder Mound and Boulder

Bleaching Severity: Bleaching Severity: Paling Bleached

Colpophyllia natans Orbicella faveolata

Common Name: Common Name: Boulder Star Coral Boulder Brain Coral

Coral Type: Coral Type: Mound and Boulder Mound and Boulder

Bleaching Severity: Bleaching Severity: Upper Surface / Paling Bleached

Orbicella annularis Colpophyllia natans Progression of coral bleaching……

Photo 1 Photo 2 Photo 3

TIME AND STRESS

The above photos illustrate a time line of bleaching for Elkhorn Coral Acropora palmata. Photo 1 is a healthy colony with a brown tint provided by the zooxanthellae. Photo 2 the entire colony has expelled their zooxanthellae causing a “bleached” white appearance. Photo 3 the colony was not able to regain the zooxanthellae and mortality and algae growth has occurred.

Helpful tips on IDENTIFICATION….

Photo: CRogers

Black-Band Disease White Pox Disease Yellow-Band Disease  Forms a dark ring usually starting on  Forms small white patches of  Circular yellow tissue with the outer edges of the coral. denuded skeleton eventual dead in the center.  Found on many species.  Affects Elkhorn and Staghorn coral.  Mainly Brain and Boulder corals.

White Band Disease White Plague Disease Fish Bites  Tissue peels off skeleton from base  Forms a distinct disease line on outer  Usually found in pairs from beak to branch tips at uniform rate edges of the coral. marks of parrot fish.  Found on Acropora species.  Found on many species.  Found on all species. NON-STONY CORALS AND BLEACHING

Fire Coral Palythoa  Is a hydrocoral, not  Is a Cnidarian, not stony coral like rest stony coral like rest  Has stinging polyps  Similar to anemones  Is encrusting  Is encrusting  Family Milleporidae  Family Zoanthidea

Millepora alcicornis Palythoa caribaeorum