Previous Story
’Tis the season for coral bleaching
The Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality is asking the public for assistance as they continue to monitor the reefs of the CNMI. The BECQ Marine Monitoring Team has been actively monitoring reef sites throughout the region for signs of stress and bleaching.
When corals get stressed by abnormally warm waters, they may expel the symbiotic algae living within their tissues. When this happens, the usually colorful corals appear bright white, or “bleached.” Corals can survive bleaching, but if the thermal stress continues, mortality often occurs. Satellite data from NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch program currently indicate that the CNMI has an increased risk for bleaching this summer and fall.
Moderate to severe bleaching has been observed across the northern islands of Maug and Pagan, as well as to the south on Guam. So far on Saipan, bleaching has been mild to absent and restricted to the reef crest. Monitoring coral bleaching and recovery is critical to the development effective management strategies for these valuable ecosystems.
If you are in the water and see bleached coral, please contact BECQ’s Division of Coastal Resources Management at (670) 664-8300 to report your location. Please remember not to touch or stand on corals as these activities cause additional stress and damage to the corals. (BECQ)
