Coral Mortality and African Dust Photo Gallery

Grecian Rocks Brain Coral: 1959-1998

Grecian Rocks star coral 11 photos brain coral 3 photos star coral 3 photos star coral 5 photos

Carysfort Reef star coral 5 photos brain coral 6 photos

1959 1988 1998

This large Colpophyllia natans (a type of brain coral) had a star coral attached at left and a species of Diploria on the right. In 1988, the star coral was missing (note cavity in foreground) but the Diploria at right remained (Hurricane Donna impacted this area after the 1959 photograph was taken). In the summer of 1998, the brain coral was slightly bleached, the Diploria to right is even more bleached. The brain coral is mostly dead and infested with algae and sea whips.