coral bleaching
Stressed polyps pale
Coral bleaching is the whitening of coral reefs when stressed corals expel the symbiotic algae living in their tissues.
The algae give coral its color and provide most of its nutrients; without them, the coral turns pale and often dies.
Rising ocean temperatures are the primary cause: Climate change has accelerated coral bleaching worldwide.
Bleached coral can recover if conditions improve quickly enough.
Making something lighter
- photosynthesisLight-to-sugar conversion in plants
- polypsFixed aquatic invertebrates
- starvationExtreme nutritional deprivation
- calcificationMineral hardening of tissue
mortality · recovery · stress response · mucus production · paling · fluorescence
Rising planetary temperatures
- ocean warmingRising marine temperatures
- sea temperatureWarmth of seawater
- thermal stressStrain from temperature change
- carbon emissionsReleased greenhouse gases
greenhouse gases · acidification · climate crisis · anthropogenic · fossil fuels · CO2 levels · El Niño · climate adaptation
Strain from temperature change
- acidificationIncrease in hydrogen ions
- sedimentationParticles settling in liquid
- eutrophicationExcess nutrients depleting oxygen
- UV radiationInvisible high-energy light waves
pollution · turbidity · hypoxia · agricultural runoff · coastal development · overfishing · water quality · oxygen depletion
Surgical organ relocation
- reef-safe sunscreenUV lotion without harmful chemicals
- cryopreservationLow-temperature biological preservation
- sustainable tourismTravel minimizing environmental harm
- Great Barrier ReefVast coral formation near Australia
whitening
Making something lighter
- photosynthesisLight-to-sugar conversion in plants
- polypsFixed aquatic invertebrates
- starvationExtreme nutritional deprivation
calcification · mortality · recovery · stress response · mucus production · paling · fluorescence
global warming
Rising planetary temperatures
- ocean warmingRising marine temperatures
- sea temperatureWarmth of seawater
- thermal stressStrain from temperature change
carbon emissions · greenhouse gases · acidification · climate crisis · anthropogenic · fossil fuels · CO2 levels · El Niño · climate adaptation · ecosystem collapse
thermal stress
Strain from temperature change
- acidificationIncrease in hydrogen ions
- sedimentationParticles settling in liquid
- eutrophicationExcess nutrients depleting oxygen
UV radiation · pollution · turbidity · hypoxia · agricultural runoff · coastal development · overfishing · water quality · oxygen depletion · microplastics
transplantation
Surgical organ relocation
- reef-safe sunscreenUV lotion without harmful chemicals
- cryopreservationLow-temperature biological preservation
- sustainable tourismTravel minimizing environmental harm
- Australian ecologyGreat Barrier Reef, eucalyptus forests, bushland, tropical ecosystems, bushfires
- ecological crisismass extinction, species loss, habitat loss, extinction event, pollinator decline
- Reef Conservationmarine reserves, marine sanctuaries, artificial reefs, reef ecosystems
- environmentair pollution, ecology, clean air, biosphere, air quality
- Climate Changeglobal warming, greenhouse gases, climate change, carbon dioxide, CO2
- environmental harmair pollution, water pollution, pollution, oil spills, acid rain
coral bleachingreef conservation
Protecting ocean's calcium carbonate ecosystems
bleach, coral, bleached, bleaching, bleachers, bleacher, corals, unbleached