the water temperatures in the Caribbean (from Key West to the US Virgin Islands) have reached their seasonal high two months ahead of time.  Normally, the waters do not get this hot until September.  this

means that for the next two months, water temperatures will likely climb above their normal highs. see full story.

bleached coral may not recover if high water temperatures persist

   this is bad news for coral.  when water gets too hot, corals will lose their resident algae and "bleach" (turn a ghostly white).  if the algae do not return, or if repeated exposure to warm water kills the algae off, the coral will die.

   already early in the year Caribbean coral was in trouble and dying at alarming rates.  this follows the pattern seen in Australia's Great Barrier Reef earlier in the year, and is not good news for coral.  as sea temperatures continue to rise, watch for more and more stress to pile on coral, with possibly devastating results.

    sadly, as sea temperatures continue to rise, i am not sure there's much we can do about it at this point.  we may be the last generation of divers to see corals in their full bloom.