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WILMA'S DESTRUCTIVE PATH
Warm Oceans Threaten Caribbean Coral Reefs
'Bleaching' may kill up to 90% of the colorful undersea polyp colonies in
some areas.
By Kenneth R. Weiss and Usha Lee McFarling
Times Staff Writers
October 25, 2005
The extremely warm ocean waters fueling this season's record hurricane
season are stressing coral reefs throughout the Caribbean and may kill
80% to 90% of the structures in some areas, scientists reported Monday.
These colorful undersea landmarks — homes for tropical fish and magnets
for divers and snorkelers — are turning white, or "bleaching" in an area
extending from the Florida Keys to Puerto Rico and Panama because of
warmer-than-usual water that has persisted in the Atlantic for months.
"These levels are like nothing we've ever seen" in 20 years of satellite
monitoring, said Al Strong, coordinator for the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration's Coral Reef Watch. "It's twice the thermal
stress that we've ever seen for corals. We are talking extremely high
percentage of bleaching and what seems to be extreme mortality."
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