Coral Bleaching
By: Caroline Aubrey
Coral bleaching is when the corals become stressed due to changes in temperature, light, or nutrients and they reject the symbiotic algae that lives in their tissue. The algae is what give the coral their
beautiful coloring. Without the algae in their tissue, the corals become completely white, or bleached.
As previously mentioned, many things can cause the reefs to become stressed, like changes in their habitat conditions. Temperature changes in the ocean due to climate change is the leading cause to coral bleaching. Changes in light also cause bleaching, whether it is too much light or not enough. Another factor that leads to bleaching is pollution and runoff. Storm drains can cause harsh pollutants to enter the ocean which can stress near shore reefs. Coral reefs are a sensitive species that needs more protection from harsh human activities.