A coral bleaching event at Oahu, Kauai and Maui in Hawaii has drawn attraction from the international community even as two teams documented the event in the hopes of further studying it.

The research was initiated by the Catlin Seaview Survey based in Australia and also invlves scientists from the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) , Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR), Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB), and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

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Representatives of the Catlin Seaview Survey are creating a baseline record of the coral reefs of the world using high-resolution cameras with 360 degree panoramic vision to document the bleaching on several affected coral reefs in Kaneohe Bay.

According to survey director, Richard Vevers, their photographic survey will help scientists, law makers and everyone else interested in saving the ocean understand the growing concerns and issues facing coral reefs. The survey will monitor the changes of the reefs in the long run so as to protect them.

To view the photos documented by Catlin Seaview Survey, click here: www.catlinseaviewsurvey.com.

A second team from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts also conducted a documentary similar to that of the first group.

The second group is interested in quantifying superoxide, the main oxygen believed to be responsible for bleaching coral reefs. There are no machines or gadgets that can help the group achieve this, however.

DLNR, HIMB, DAR, and NOAA in Hawaii are continuing to monitor the situation. These organizations will give updates in case there is further research and studies about coral bleaching.

TagsCoral bleaching, bodies of water, attract, attention, further studies, Catlin Seaview Survey, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts