bleached anemone from BeachBum on Vimeo.
Quite a few of the normally deep colour carpet anemones were showing signs of bleaching (loss of colour). This is probably due to heavy rainfall these past few weeks. Freshwater tends to drastically change the salinity of the coastal waters at Chek Jawa as it lies in the direct outflow path of the Johore river through which a huge amount of rain water runoff flows out from Johore.Carpet anemones contain symbiotic algae called zooxanthallae. The algae photosynthesizes to produce food which is shared with the sea anemone and which in return provides the algae with shelter. The algae gives the anemone it's distinctive colour. If the algae dies, so does the colour of the anemone.
Read more about carpet anemones :
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/cnidaria/actiniaria/haddoni.htm
These links show how healthy carpet anemones are supposed to look like :
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/cnidaria/actiniaria/haddoni1.htm
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/cnidaria/actiniaria/haddoni2.htm
Read more (and see more pics) about the bleaching here ;
http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2010/03/portent-of-death-on-chek-jawa.html
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