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 a coral bleaches, it is not dead. Corals can survive a bleaching event, but they are under more stress and are subject to mortality.

Question

In 2005, the U.S. lost half of its coral reefs in the Caribbean in one year due to a massive bleaching event. The warm waters centered around the northern Antilles near the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico expanded southward. Comparison of satellite data from the previous 20 years confirmed that thermal stress from the 2005 event was greater than the previous 20 years combined.

When corals are under stress, they expel the microscopic algae that live in their tissues. Without these algae, corals' tissues become transparent, exposing their white skeleton. This is called coral bleaching. Bleached corals are not dead, but are more at risk of starvation and disease.

Using the information given above answer in 3 or 5 sentences what is bleaching

Answer 1

Coral bleaching occurs when corals expel the algae living in their tissues due to warmer water temperatures. This causes the coral to turn completely white as their transparent tissues expose their white skeleton. While bleached corals are not dead, they are under more stress and at higher risk of mortality, starvation, and disease. The loss of algae also reduces the coral's ability to photosynthesize and obtain essential nutrients, further weakening their health and resilience.