NOTICE -- New Experimental "Coral Bleaching Indices" -- NOW ON-LINE


Coral Reef Bleaching Indices: - NOAA's National Environmental Satellite, 
Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) inaugurated February 22, 2000, a 
new on-line "Coral Reef Bleaching Indices" page.  This release is timed to 
closely coincide with the Department of Commerce's hosting of the US Coral 
Reef Task Force (CRTF), March 2.  Encouraged by the CRTF, this web-site shows, 
at a glance, key parameters for coral reef bleaching at 24 chosen sites throughout 
the global reef community: 6- Atlantic Ocean ; 6 - Indian Ocean; and 12- Pacific 
Ocean.  Links are included that allows the visitor access to additional relevant 
on-line information.  These links will continue to be enhanced to hopefully 
generate much needed calibrations and validations from our users in the field.  
Parameters being displayed included: Current temperature; expected maximum 
summertime value; accumulations of potential bleaching thermal stress, "degree 
heating weeks (DHW)," for past 12 weeks (3 months); highest DHW 
accumulations seen during past 10 years for this same period.  Site name "blinks" 
when real-time SSTs exceed maximum summertime SST expected (climatology) 
-- this black blinking name will convert to "red" whenever the SST reaches (or 
exceeds) a level that is one degree (C) above the expected summertime value. 

New Indices are seen at: 
     http://psbsgi1.nesdis.noaa.gov/PSB/EPS/SST/dhw_news.html

or may be reached through the NOAA's Bleaching HotSpot website at:
     http://psbsgi1.nesdis.noaa.gov:8080/PSB/EPS/SST/climohot.html

We look forward to your feedback (form provided) as we seek ways to serve 
you better.

AE Strong