A. Jindal, K. B. Ritchie, R.L. Hayes, T.J. Goreau, and G. W. Smith. 
1995.  Bacterial Ecology of Selected Corals Following the 1994 South 
Central Pacific Bleaching Event.  27th Meeting Assoc. Mar. Labs. 
Caribbean. 

Syringe samples were taken from the surface of normal, bleached and 
necrotic corals from the South Central Pacific following the mass 
bleaching event which first appeared in March, 1994.  Carbon source 
utilization patterns were determined for bacterial isolates from these 
samples and entered into a database from which community comparisons 
were made.  Plate counts and INT-linked dehydrogenase measurements were 
performed on samples to determine overall metabolic activity.  Shifts in 
bacterial communities, based on cluster analysis, were observed with 
Acropora and Pocillopora species.  Bleached communities clustered 
together, indicating a common shift in bacterial groups.  In addition, 
an increase of 30 to 40 percent in INT-linked dehydrogenase activity was 
observed in bleached over normal samples in these two genera.  Data 
observed for Porites was not consistent with the other genera, although 
fewer samples of this genus were available.