Survey Dives Show Bleaching At 75% Of Reefs Around Oahu - Worse Than 1996 Record

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(Reuters) - A survey of coral reefs off the Hawaiian island of Oahu has shown warm ocean waters recently contributed to a higher rate of coral bleaching than the state has seen in decades, sparking concerns about the ecosystem, a state official said on Tuesday. The findings from dives last week by researchers with the Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources follows federal warnings of a possible large decline in coral cover in the archipelago this century due to climate change and warming oceans.

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The survey found 75 percent of major reef-building coral at those sites was showing signs of bleaching, McGilvray said, adding that the last time researchers saw a similar rate of bleaching in Hawaii's ocean waters was in 1996, and even then it was less severe.

"It's pretty alarming," McGilvray said. "That's a high, high percentage of corals to be bleaching."

The bleaching comes as Hawaii has experienced a recent warm spell. Divers with the Division of Aquatic Resources have measured ocean temperatures of around 85 degrees Fahrenheit (29.4 Celsius), which is higher than the normal range of 72 degrees to 78 degrees (22.2 to 25.5 C), McGilvray said.

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http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/08/us-usa-coral-hawaii-idUSKCN0HX01T20141008?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews