In recent decades, coral reef ecosystems have experienced mass mortality events related to increased sea surface temperatures and coral bleaching. Although numerous studies have documented the loss of coral diversity and abundance after bleaching, less is known about the potential of these communities to recover over longer time periods. We investigated whether reef communities in Bocas del Toro, Panama, were able to recover from two bleaching events: a moderate event in 2005 and a severe event in 2010. Ten reefs were randomly sampled using underwater photography before bleaching occurred (2004) and four years post-bleaching (2013). We identified marine organisms (corals, sea urchins, sponges, algae, etc.) and substrate type for 3,500 random points across a depth gradient on each reef. Subsequently, we investigated trends in reef community composition across the two different sampling periods. We hypothesize that coral recovery will be influenced by different life history strategies such as reproductive behavior and tolerance to environmental perturbation. Preliminary data suggest that sea urchins have increased in abundance since 2004, while algal cover has declined. We hope that this study will provide more information on the contribution of invertebrate herbivores to reef recovery and resilience.