Florida Keys Bleachwatch Program

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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 Agaricia 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 Montastraea 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 Montastraea 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 de- • Circular yellow tissue with even- the outer edges of the coral. nuded skeleton tual 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 .

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