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Coral reefs are vital to marine ecosystems, providing habitat, food, and protection for countless species. Unfortunately, these underwater environments are increasingly threatened. One of these threats is coral bleaching, which is triggered by rising sea temperatures. Coral bleaching occurs when the microalgae that live inside coral tissues, which give corals their color and energy, are expelled due to stress from elevated water temperatures. Without these algae, corals lose their color, turning white – or “bleached” – and become more vulnerable to disease or overgrowth of turf algae. Although bleached corals are not immediately dead, prolonged bleaching can lead to significant mortality, endangering entire reef ecosystems.
