Become a Trained Volunteer
Summer brings the pleasure of warmer water temperatures and calm seas to the Florida Keys, but with that comes an increased chance of mass coral bleaching. To aid in the early detection of bleaching, divers and snorkelers are encouraged to become trained as volunteer observers and participate in the Mote Marine Laboratory’s BleachWatch program.
Bleach Watch is a volunteer program managed by Mote Marine Laboratory and supported by the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, in which divers and snorkelers are enlisted as “eyes on the water,” helping with early detection of coral bleaching.
Volunteer observations can be submitted via email or web forms and the information aids researchers in rapid detection, assessment and response to bleaching.
Bleaching is a stress response that results when the coral-algae relationship breaks down. The corals are still alive after bleaching, and if the environmental conditions return to normal rather quickly, the corals can regain their friendly algae and survive. However, if the stressors are prolonged, the corals are more susceptible to disease, predation, and mortality.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer observer or want to know more about coral bleaching, visit http://isurus.mote.org/Keys/bleaching.phtml.
From Karrie Carnes, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
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