Bleached CoralThis creature is dead. Coral reefs are structures built out of a variety of organisms
Bleached CoralThis creature is dead. Coral reefs are structures built out of a variety of organisms including algae that exchange energy and nutrients with the coral in a symbiotic relationship.Despite living in tropical waters, the algae are very temperature sensitive. If it gets too hot, they either die off or leave the area. The coral are unable to survive without their helpful algae, so if the algae can’t survive, the coral can’t either.This area near the Florida Keys has warmed by about 1 degree Celsius (2 degrees F) over the last 30 years. That’s enough to push the algae out of their comfort zone, and as a consequence the coral are dying. This is an example of coral being bleached; killed due to environmental changes and left as a white, carbonate skeleton.-JBBImage credit: USGS Flickrhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/usgeologicalsurvey/15011207807/Read more:http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/students/coral/coral3.htmhttp://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=3996#.VBMWIUvHIok -- source link
#coral#bleach#bleached#pollution#environment#ocean#climate change#global warming#symbiotic#florida#florida keys#plankton