White Plague spreading on the Cozumel Coral???

[ANDREW INGRAM]

Starting to see the trickle in of news reports regarding the identification / spreading of the white plague within the Coz marine park.

Open Explorer | Restore Coral in the Mayan Reef

Is this is serious of a future problem for the reef as as I fear? I read it did a number on some of the Florida reefs about a decade ago...

 

[Streydog]

I didn't see much bleaching last year but a DM pointed this out to me. It was at Bricks if I recall. I saw a couple other smaller areas like that during the same dive.

Here is a link to an interesting blog from a dive shop in Roatan concerning coral bleaching. Coral Bleaching

 

[Okcdiver2]

Kristin Sansonetti

This was discussed awhile back. I work in stormwater quality in okc. In cozumel i see alot of pollution. From locals scrubbing sidewalks with bleach and soaps to sanitary sewer overflows. Then throw in cruise ship pollution it was only a matter or time. I see the brown fuzz on the sand that i think is from nutrient runoff from soaps and things. People say dilution is solution to pollution. Not a good way to think. Just my opinion.

 

[George Monnat Jr]

What are the rules for using sunblock in Coz?

 

[zider]

What are the rules for using sunblock in Coz?

Reef safe sunblock is required within the marine park.

 

[Okcdiver2]

It may be required but there is no sunscreen police.

 

[RayfromTX]

I've never even noticed signage or educational efforts related to sunscreen.

 

[Charred]

Don't rule out that someone touched or banged that coral causing an injury that is spreading.

That coral is not particularly healthy - there is algae growing on it. There is a coral behind it on the right that looks like it has a cyano bloom on it. That whole area could be under stress from something.

Lucky for the Coz reefs is that the current flows from South to North. The reefs are in the sparsely populated south and the ships and town are in the North.

 

[GameChanger]

I saw some very small patches of bleached coral at Horseshoe today.

 

[tarponchik]

Coz reefs are in a strait with currents, so local polution should be swept away.