Volunteer in the Honduran Caribbean with Utila Centre for Marine Ecology conservation, ecology & development projects: dolphins, whale sharks, coral reefs, fisheries, mangroves, seagrass, scuba diving

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Coral Bleaching
	Coral bleaching is a phenomenon that occurs as a result of stressed coral organisms expelling the symbiotic algae which reside within their tissues. These algae, known as zooxanthellae, are not only responsible for giving corals their various colours, but also provide their hosts with the majority of their food. The process of photosynthesis results in carbon being converted into sugars and passed from zooxanthellae to coral organism. In return, waste products are passed back to the zooxanthellae. This mutually beneficial relationship is known as symbiosis.
Bleaching occurs when any one of a number of pressures cause the biochemical reactions associated with photosynthesis to produce toxic forms of oxygen. In order to protect itself the host coral organism literally drives out the zooxanthellae leaving part, or all of the coral colony white in appearance. Initially corals do not die, but because zooxanthellae provide between 50-95% of their metabolic functions mortality will eventually occur if environmental conditions do not return to favourable levels. If bleaching is not too severe and environmental conditions return, affected corals will regain their symbiotic algae within a few weeks. Although the primary cause of coral bleaching is increased water temperature, other disturbances include: Increased solar irradiance Subaerial exposure (e.g. tsunamis) Sedimentation from development, deforestation etc Freshwater dilution from runoff Inorganic nutrients from untreated sewage Xenobiotics from agricultural or industrial chemicals Epizootics (e.g. coral diseases)
BleachWatch
BleachWatch is a community-based coral reef monitoring initiative developed during a mass-bleaching event in 2002 by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA). In subsequent years, both the number of participants and its spatial coverage have expanded, now including countries on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef such as Belize and Honduras. The goals of BleachWatch are: To inform the community about coral bleaching and to encourage individuals, tourism operators, organisations and fishers to participate in BleachWatch To detect the early stages of coral bleaching events over a wide geographic range To use coral bleaching as a means to communicate the broader impacts of climate change on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. UCME, in cooperation with The Nature Conservancy, is keen to enlist the assistance of all reef users to monitor and report coral bleaching in the region. In order to provide bleaching information a simple report has been made available online for users to complete following their dives. Even if there is no bleaching, it is still important we are kept regularly informed about your sites - we appreciate your cooperation. BleachWatch Report Online \| BleachWatch Report Word Document
Links
Bleaching alert graph for Bay Islands, Honduras NOAA Coral Reef Watch NOAA Satellite Bleaching Alert E-mail List Coral Bleaching HotSpots Coral Bleaching Virtual Stations

Utila Centre for Marine Ecology, East Harbour, Utila, Honduras | | +5044253026