Bleached CoralThis creature is not doing well. Coral reefs are structures built out of a variety of
Bleached CoralThis creature is not doing well. 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, either the algae can be killed, or the algae will overproduce a substance that becomes toxic to the coral, causing the coral to expel them. The coral are unable to survive without their helpful algae, so if the algae can’t survive, the coral can’t either. When the algae leave a coral structure, the coral is left bleached - turned white as you wee here. A single bleaching can kill some coral specimens, but some can survive if the algae return. Multiple bleachings tend to kill a great number.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 this bleaching event was one of several triggered by these warmer waters.-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
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