On 23rd September 2017, the Cayman Islands Department of Environment (DOE) documented the first reports of a new coral bleaching event in the Cayman Islands.  Scientists have been investigating how widespread and intense the bleaching is across all three islands: Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman.  A particularly striking find was on Andes Reef, north coast of Grand Cayman, where there were sightings of coral bleaching happening up to depths of 50 meters.  This year’s coral bleaching event has been meticulously monitored and documented by the DOE and they continue to gather data, photos, videos and conduct surveys to fully assess the impact.  As the DOE documents this stress response, they are paying close attention to 3 particular factors: 1.       Which locations of coral reefs are affected by the bleaching 2.       What species of coral are affected and which are remaining healthy 3.       What depths are bleached corals found For instance, some coral reefs on the west side of the island in shallow depths currently …