Fig. 1.

Seawater temperatures recorded from 2002 to 2006 at Heron Island on the southern Great Barrier Reef (June 2003 to June 2004, no data available). (Inset Right) Average (maximum, minimum) summer and winter temperatures. Water temperatures did not differ significantly between the deep (15–18 m) and shallow (3–6 m), but regional bleaching was evident in 2002 and 2006 when the long-term summer average (Tmean) or maximum (Tmax) was exceeded for prolonged periods. (Inset Left) Tagged Stylophora pistillata colony in March 2005 (healthy) and March 2006 (bleached).