Bleach Watch Class and Dive

The onset and severity of mass coral bleaching can vary by species, geographic location, and type of reef zone, which makes it very difficult to predict where or when it will occur. SEAFAN BleachWatch relies on an observer network of trained recreational, commercial, and scientific divers to help identify when and where bleaching is taking place by monitoring and reporting on the condition of the reefs in southeast Florida. Members of the observer network are alerted when conditions favorable for bleaching are present, so that field data can be gathered before, as well as during and after a bleaching event. After each visit to the reef, participating divers are encouraged complete and submit a data sheet, whether bleaching was observed at the dive site or not. Divers are also encouraged to send pictures of their observations. To help ensure consistency in reported data, all participants attend a training class and…