Eakin,-C.M.  The 1982-1983 El Nino: Impact of eastern Pacific 
	reef carbonate budgets and implications for severe 
	bleaching disturbances.  PAC.-SCI. 1992. vol. 46, no. 3, 
	p. 377.

Sea surface warming during the severe and prolonged 1982-1983 
El Nino-southern oscillation (ENSO) event resulted in 
bleaching and mortality of over 50% of reef coral cover at 
Uva Island, Panama. Subsequently, densities of the eroding 
echinoid Diadema mexicanum  increased from pre-ENSO values of 
3 individuals/m super(2) to at least 50 individuals/m 
super(2) in the seaward reef base zone, where erosion of the 
reef framework currently exceeds 13 kg CaCO sub(3)/m 
super(2)/yr, producing a vertical loss of 22 mm of framework 
per year. A preliminary CaCO sub(3) budget of Uva Island reef 
has been calculated from estimates of production by corals 
and coralline algae, framework destruction by D. mexicanum), 
infaunal eroders, fishes and other motile eroders, and 
sediment retention within the framework. Damselfish and their 
algal lawns protect portions of the reef from erosion, 
contributing significantly to the budget. The combination of 
coral mortality and increased densities of eroding echinoids 
resulted in a 60% decline in net CaCO sub(3) deposition.