404
Destruction and Recovery of Reef Systems, Reef and Man
Table 11.2. Cases of mass bleaching and mortality of corals and other benthic animals
during the period of El Nino in 1983. (After Lessios et al. 1983, 1984; Glynn 1984; Dahl
1985; Fisk and Done 1985; Harriott 1985; Oliver 1985; laap 1985)
Region
Eastern Pacific (Panama,
Columbia)
Tokelau (French Polynesia)
GBR near Townsville, Cairns,
Lizard I.
Okinawa I.
lava, Pulau-Pari and Seribu I.
(Indonesia)
Bahamas
Florida
Caribbean reefs
Caribbean reefs
Phenomenon
Bleaching and death of 60-90%
of corals
Bleaching and death of corals
on shallows
Bleaching and death of corals
(mainly young colonies of
Acropora and Pocillopora
down to 15 m depth
Bleaching and death of corals
and actinians down to 10 m
Bleaching and death of corals
and actinians down to 10 m
Bleaching of corals Dip/oria
down to depth of 5-8m
Bleaching and partial death of
corals, gorgonians and
Millepora down to depths
of 14m
Bleaching and partial death of
corals and other anthozoans
(25 species in total)
Mass mortality of urchins and
asteroids
Supposed cause
Overheating
Long exposure and
overheating
Exposure and
overheating
Overheating
Causes are not clear
Causes are not clear
Exposure, overheating
Overheating
Causes not clear,
possibly
overheating
high-latitude reefs during severe winters or extra-hot summers (Shinn 1976;
Rogers 1985). In some regions the mortality of corals has been caused by
earthquakes and volcanic activity (Stoddart 1972, Grigg and Maragos 1974).
Recently, the phenomena of mass bleaching and subsequent mortality of
corals were recorded on a global scale in vast areas of different reef regions
(Table 11.2). In the eastern Pacific, it happened during the strong EI Nino
period of 1982-1983 at reefs off Panama, off Columbia, and off the
Galapagos Islands (Glynn 1983, 1985, 1988; Glynn and D'Croz 1990). In the
central Pacific, it was recorded on reefs of Tokelau, on Christmas Island and
on some reefs of Polynesia and Indonesia (Brown and Suharsono 1990), and
in the western Pacific on reefs of the central GBR (Brown, 1990). In the
western Atlantic, mass bleaching, not only of scleractinian corals but also of
hydrocorals, gorgonaceans and zoantharians, accompanied by mortality
even of sponges and sea urchins occurred in the summer-autumn period of
1987. This phenomenon was observed on reefs of Jamaica, Puerto Rico,
Florida, the Bahamas, and of San Croix (Jaap 1985, Roberts, 1987, Williams
and Bunkley - Williams 1988). It is remarkable that during the first half of
this century until the 1960s such phenomena had not been ever recorded in
Destruction and Recovery of Reef Systems, Reef and Man
Table 11.2. Cases of mass bleaching and mortality of corals and other benthic animals
during the period of El Nino in 1983. (After Lessios et al. 1983, 1984; Glynn 1984; Dahl
1985; Fisk and Done 1985; Harriott 1985; Oliver 1985; laap 1985)
Region
Eastern Pacific (Panama,
Columbia)
Tokelau (French Polynesia)
GBR near Townsville, Cairns,
Lizard I.
Okinawa I.
lava, Pulau-Pari and Seribu I.
(Indonesia)
Bahamas
Florida
Caribbean reefs
Caribbean reefs
Phenomenon
Bleaching and death of 60-90%
of corals
Bleaching and death of corals
on shallows
Bleaching and death of corals
(mainly young colonies of
Acropora and Pocillopora
down to 15 m depth
Bleaching and death of corals
and actinians down to 10 m
Bleaching and death of corals
and actinians down to 10 m
Bleaching of corals Dip/oria
down to depth of 5-8m
Bleaching and partial death of
corals, gorgonians and
Millepora down to depths
of 14m
Bleaching and partial death of
corals and other anthozoans
(25 species in total)
Mass mortality of urchins and
asteroids
Supposed cause
Overheating
Long exposure and
overheating
Exposure and
overheating
Overheating
Causes are not clear
Causes are not clear
Exposure, overheating
Overheating
Causes not clear,
possibly
overheating
high-latitude reefs during severe winters or extra-hot summers (Shinn 1976;
Rogers 1985). In some regions the mortality of corals has been caused by
earthquakes and volcanic activity (Stoddart 1972, Grigg and Maragos 1974).
Recently, the phenomena of mass bleaching and subsequent mortality of
corals were recorded on a global scale in vast areas of different reef regions
(Table 11.2). In the eastern Pacific, it happened during the strong EI Nino
period of 1982-1983 at reefs off Panama, off Columbia, and off the
Galapagos Islands (Glynn 1983, 1985, 1988; Glynn and D'Croz 1990). In the
central Pacific, it was recorded on reefs of Tokelau, on Christmas Island and
on some reefs of Polynesia and Indonesia (Brown and Suharsono 1990), and
in the western Pacific on reefs of the central GBR (Brown, 1990). In the
western Atlantic, mass bleaching, not only of scleractinian corals but also of
hydrocorals, gorgonaceans and zoantharians, accompanied by mortality
even of sponges and sea urchins occurred in the summer-autumn period of
1987. This phenomenon was observed on reefs of Jamaica, Puerto Rico,
Florida, the Bahamas, and of San Croix (Jaap 1985, Roberts, 1987, Williams
and Bunkley - Williams 1988). It is remarkable that during the first half of
this century until the 1960s such phenomena had not been ever recorded in