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 .