{"id":1001,"date":"2014-09-15T20:00:41","date_gmt":"2014-09-15T20:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.reefrelieffounders.com\/science\/?p=1001"},"modified":"2014-09-15T20:00:41","modified_gmt":"2014-09-15T20:00:41","slug":"coral-morphologic-bad-year-for-coral-bleaching-sediment-on-miami-coral-reefs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.reefrelieffounders.com\/science\/2014\/09\/15\/coral-morphologic-bad-year-for-coral-bleaching-sediment-on-miami-coral-reefs\/","title":{"rendered":"Coral Morphologic: Bad Year for Coral Bleaching & Sediment on Miami coral reefs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Coral Morphologic <\/p>\n

12:09 PM (3 hours ago)<\/p>\n

to coral-list
\nA combination of hot weather and sunny days in summer 2014 has resulted in
\nvery a bad year for coral bleaching in South Florida. Recently, we surveyed
\nthe natural reef (‘first reef tract’) just offshore Fisher Island here in
\nMiami. Unfortunately, the water has been kept exceptionally silty from the
\nArmy Corps\u2019 ongoing dredging of nearby Government Cut. The water is 10-15
\nfeet deep here, and nearly all of the coral heads on the reef were
\nbleached. However, the most alarming thing we observed, was the prevalence
\nof black band disease infecting many of the brain corals. As evidenced from
\nthe video, the dredge silt has settled on the corals, and seems a likely a
\nculprit in causing this disease outbreak. Prior to this summer, we have
\nnever observed BBD as prevalently on Miami’s corals. Currently, the dredge
\nships are operating just outside the mouth of Government Cut jetties,
\nresulting in plumes of silt that smother corals on the natural reefs in
\nevery direction.<\/p>\n

See the video of the bleached and diseased corals here:<\/p>\n

Miami Coral Bleaching Report (September 7, 2014)<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n