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CORDIO Status Report 2000

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Figure 2. Coral condition by location.<br />

100%<br />

80%<br />

60%<br />

40%<br />

20%<br />

0%<br />

Alphonse St Pierre Providence<br />

Recently Dead<br />

Bleached<br />

Unbleached<br />

Figure 3. Coral condition over time at Alphonse Atoll at a) 10 m and<br />

b) 15 m water depth for March and May 1998 survey periods.<br />

100%<br />

80%<br />

60%<br />

40%<br />

20%<br />

0%<br />

March 10m May 10m March 15m May 15m<br />

appeared to be a common occurrence creating a temperature<br />

differentiation of approximately 3º C - 6º C. This<br />

phenomenon could have mitigated the impact of the<br />

anomalous 1998 sea-surface temperatures which caused<br />

the widespread coral bleaching.<br />

A year after the bleaching event (February - March<br />

1999) the shallow (8-15m) outer slope, was dominated<br />

by dead coral and coral rubble composed of substantial<br />

quantities of dead branching coral. The dead coral surfaces<br />

on the NW and SW slopes were dominated by the<br />

reticulate, foliaceous, green alga Microdictyon. Observations<br />

in November 1999 showed that this cover has persisted<br />

although the alga has been substantially grazed.<br />

Pocilloporid and acroporid recruits (3-5 cm diameter)<br />

were observed in November 1999 but these were very<br />

few. The largest cover percentage of live coral was<br />

found in the NE and SE spur and groove zone (

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