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