Bleaching in Palau:

> Back in the office after a great trip to Palau, the work went very well and
> the place is as beautiful as everyone says. However, they have been hit very
> hard by the EL NIŅO/LA NIŅA effects and the coral bleaching is pretty
> severe. One environmental consultant (Anne Kitalong) estimated that it had
> affected more than 80% of the coral, several of the dive tour leaders were a
> little more optimistic and said that it was improving rapidly.
>
> My limited observations tended to agree more with Anne Kitalong (algal
> growth is not much of a recovery, most of the hard corals are slow growing
> and the dive operators are unwilling to admit any lessening of the quality
> of their lucrative dive spots). I did 4 dives on my days off and although it
> was still spectacular I was very aware of the bleaching. A lot of areas were
> just full of washed-out looking hard corals (the damage to soft corals is
> not as obvious). I could only dream of how beautiful it must be without the
> bleaching.
>
> The Division of Marine Resources has also had a lot of giant clams and soft
> corals  dying at their hatchery and they attribute this to the increased
> water temperature. Water temperatures have risen as high as 34°C, from a
> normal temperature of 27-28°C.
>
> The Palau Conservation Society(PCS)had a front page article about coral
> bleaching in their September Newsletter. It doesn't say anything
> particularly illuminating, they are trying to link ENSO with long-term
> global climate change but it is really just a suggestion. I could send you a
> photocopy if you are interested. PCS can be contacted at:
>                 PO Box 1811
>                 Koror, PW 96940
>                 Republic of Palau
>                 Tel: (680) 488-3993/4716  Fax: (680) 488-3990
>                 e-mail pcs@palaunet.com
>