CONTACT:       Patricia Viets, NOAA          FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
                                             1/20/98

El Nino's extremely warm waters in the Pacific Ocean have caused coral bleaching in the waters around the Galapagos Islands, the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced today.

Warm waters that are two to three degrees Celsius above the maximum temperatures that are typically expected to develop during the entire year, are continuing to develop down the coast of South America. These Galapagos "hot spots," with temperatures well above last year's levels, have been identified by NOAA satellite data.

"The Galapagos, on the Equator off the coast of Ecuador, lie in some of the warmest waters of this El Ni¤o," said NOAA oceanographer Al Strong. "Sea surface temperatures in the area are currently about 29 degrees Celsius, nearly a whole degree and a half warmer than what is critical for bleaching at that site." Strong reports that the satellite data for the area have been confirmed by data from NOAA's data buoys.

Corals at the Galapagos thrive as long as temperatures remain at or below 27 degrees Celsius -- the normal maximum sea surface temperature at this site. An increase of one or two degrees above the usual maximum temperatures can be deadly to these animals. The temperature range for corals to thrive varies from site to site by only a few degrees.

Coral reefs -- the "rainforests of the oceans" -- support a variety of sea life and provide resources of significant economic importance such as fishing and recreation. Coral bleaching, induced by high water temperatures, has raised concerns about these fragile ecosystems. Coral bleaching occurs as coral tissue expels zooxanthellae, a type of algae that resides in the structure of the coral, and is essential to the coral's survival. Corals normally recover, unless high ocean temperatures persist for too long a period or become too warm.

During the 1997-98 El Nino, NOAA has also confirmed coral bleaching in the Western Hemisphere at sites in the Florida Keys, Baja California, Pacific Coast of Panama, the Yucatan coast, Caymans, and the Netherland Antillies.

"With 1998 named the Year of the Ocean, it is appropriate that we focus our attention on these extremely important ecosystems," Strong said.

Video animations of coral reef Hot Spots and sea surface temperatures are available on the World Wide Web at: http://manati.wwb.noaa.gov/orad