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Status of Coral Reefs of the World 2000

Status of Coral Reefs of the World 2000.pdf

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16. STATUS OF CORAL REEFS OF NORTHERN CENTRAL<br />

AMERICA: MEXICO, BELIZE, GUATEMALA, HONDURAS,<br />

NICARAGUA AND EL SALVADOR<br />

PHILIP KRAMER, PATRICIA RICHARDS KRAMER,<br />

ERNESTO ARIAS-GONZALEZ AND MELANIE MCFIELD<br />

ABSTRACT<br />

Recent large scale climatic events have had a tremendous impact on coral reefs <strong>of</strong> this<br />

region. The isolated, less-developed reefs <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Mexican Pacific suffered 40-50% coral<br />

mortality during <strong>the</strong> La Niña related cold-water events, following <strong>the</strong> 1998 El Niño<br />

bleaching event. The extensive, well-developed reefs on <strong>the</strong> Atlantic coast experienced<br />

unprecedented mass coral bleaching and mortality in 1995 and again in 1998, followed by<br />

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