Fitt,-W.K.; Spero,-H.J.; Halas,-J.; White,-M.W.; Porter,-J.W.  
	Recovery of the coral Montastrea annularis in the 
	Florida Keys after the 1987 Caribbean "bleaching event."  
	CORAL-REEFS 1993 vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 57-64.

Many reef-building corals and other cnidarians lost 
photosynthetic pigments and symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) 
during the coral bleaching event in the Caribbean in 1987. 
The Florida Reef Tract included some of the first documented 
cases, with widespread bleaching of the massive coral 
Montastrea annularis beginning in late August. Phototransects 
at Carysfort Reef showed discoloration of >90% of colonies of 
this species in March 1988 compared to 0% in July 1986; 
however no mortality was observed between 1986 and 1988. 
Samples of corals collected in February and June 1988 had 
zooxanthellae densities ranging from 0.1 in the most lightly 
colored corals, to 1.6 x 10 super(6) cells/cm super(2) in the 
darker corals. Minimum densities increased to 0.5 x 10 
super(6) cells/cm super(2) by August 1989. Chlorophyll-a 
content of zooxanthellae and zooxanthellar mitotic indices 
were significantly higher in corals with lower densities of 
zooxanthellae, suggesting that zooxanthellae at low densities 
may be more nutrient-sufficient than those in unbleached 
corals. Ash-free dry weight of coral tissue was positively 
correlated with zooxanthellae density at all sample times and 
was significantly lower in June 1988 compared to August 1989. 
Proteins and lipids per cm super(2) were significantly higher 
in August 1989 than in February or June, 1988. Although 
recovery of zooxanthellae density and coral pigmentation to 
normal levels may occur in less than one year, regrowth of 
tissue biomass and energy stores lost during the period of 
low symbiont densities may take significantly longer.