Nelly 1 is on
the reef flat in about 3m of water. Many plating, encrusting and branching
Acroporid corals bleached during this period and later partly or completely
died. There were also signs of disease on many corals and sediment settling
on plating and encrusting corals.
Nelly 2 was
established directly out from Nelly 1 on the reef slope in about 8m of
water. Corals from the genus Turbinaria dominate this area and grow on
the muddy bottom along with Acroporids and Favids. The large Turbinaria
colonies bleached over the warmest period but fully recovered some months
later.
