Coral Bleaching

What is coral bleaching?

Coral bleaching is when an algae called zooxanthelae that produses 90% of the corals energy, leaves. The algae in the skin makes the color. The coral isn't actually dead until stuff like algae is growing on it. It's predicted that 90% of the coral will die by 2030.

What a coral reef should look like

We need to protect coral reefs because a huge percentage of people on Earth get their food from the animals that live in coral reefs. Coral is very sensitive to temperature change even a couple of degrees in either direction would be catastrophic to a coral ecosystem. They're also very sensitive to the pH level in the water.

zooxanthelae

Zooxanthelae also known as Symbiodinium are important not just to coral, it also helps other creatures like anemones. If there is coral bleaching anemones must get hurt too!

How are polup and Zooxanthelae Friends

Coral and zooxanthelae live in symbiosis, coral gives zooxanthelae CO2 and shelter while zooxanthelae gives coral food. Zooxanthelae is the amazing thing that gives coral there color, this is the reason why when coral bleaches it is white.

This is what happened to coral when global warming got bad. If this continues corals will be extinct. ( Go to the how to help page to learn how to help.)

Coral is dyeing much more than it has been before.

coral takes many years to develop

Coral gives us food and shields us from big waves. We should stop global warming in return! If we don't change the way we live, all coral reefs will die out.

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