Porter,-J.W.; Fitt,-W.K.; Spero,-H.J.; Rogers,-C.S.; White,-
	M.W.  Bleaching in reef corals: Physiological and stable 
	isotopic responses.  PROC.-NATL.-ACAD.-SCI.-USA. 1989. 
	vol. 86, no. 23, pp. 9342-9346.

During the late summer to fall of 1987, Caribbean reef corals 
experienced an intense and widespread discoloration event 
described as bleaching. Contrary to initial predictions, most 
bleached corals did not die. However, energy input from 
zooxanthellae decreased, as estimated from: (i)  delta  
super(13)C values, a measure of the discrimination against  
super(13)C in  super(12)C/ super(13)C assimilation, of 
skeletal aragonite; (ii) in situ photosynthesis-irradiance 
measurements; (iii) and tissue biomass parameters of 
Montastraea annularis  and Agaricia lamarcki . The  delta  
super(18)O signal, a measure of the discrimination against  
super(18)O in  super(16)O/ super(18)O assimilation, from M. 
annularis  skeletons demonstrated that this event coincided 
with abnormally elevated water temperatures.