Warmer water temperatures can result in coral bleaching. When water is too warm, corals will expel the algae (zooxanthellae) living in their tissues causing the coral to turn completely white. This is called coral bleaching.

When corals experience stress, coral bleaching can occur. These bleaching events can have widespread impacts beyond the corals and the ecosystems they are found in. In this episode, we explore what bleaching is, some of the factors that cause it, and what we can do to prevent it.

Dec 1, 2014 · An individual coral if the event is brief, if the event is not very severe, the bleaching is something that the coral can recover from by growing back its algae. There's still a small number left in the tissues—they don't get rid of all of them—so they'll get their color back.

Jun 16, 2024 · Climate change and ocean acidification can result in mass coral bleaching events, increased susceptibility to disease, slower growth and reproductive rates, and degraded reef structure. There are no quick fixes when it comes to a changing climate.

Today, we’ll talk about coral bleaching. In December 2014, I was joined by Jennifer Koss, the Acting Director for the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program and Mark Eakin, the coordinator for NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch, to discuss coral bleaching.

Jun 16, 2024 · A warming ocean: causes thermal stress that contributes to coral bleaching and infectious disease. Sea level rise: may lead to increases in sedimentation for reefs located near land-based sources of sediment. Sedimentation runoff can lead to the smothering of coral.

For over 20 years, NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch has used remote sensing, modeling and on site data to study coral reef ecosystems worldwide. Coral Reef Watch provides the only global early-warning system of changes to coral reef environments, allowing NOAA to …

Jun 16, 2024 · Impacts from land-based sources of pollution—including coastal development, deforestation, agricultural runoff, and oil and chemical spills—can impede coral growth and reproduction, disrupt overall ecological function, and cause …

HEALTHY CORAL When the symbiotic relationship becomes stressed due to increased ocean temperature or pollution, the algae leave the coral's tissue. STRESSED CORAL BLEACHED CORAL Without the algae, the coral loses its major source of food, turns white or very pale, and is more susceptible to disease. WHAT CAUSES BLEACHING? Change in ocean ...

Bleaching When corals are stressed by changes in temperature, light, or nutrients, they expel the symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) living in their tissues, causing them to turn completely white. This process is called coral bleaching. The loss of a coral’s symbiotic algae is usually a gradual process, increasing as the level of stress increases.