GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -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.

Detailed explanation-2: -What causes coral bleaching? The primary cause of coral bleaching is high water temperature. Temperature increases of only 1.5 –2°C lasting for six to eight weeks are enough to trigger bleaching.

Detailed explanation-3: -A warming ocean: causes thermal stress that contributes to coral bleaching and infectious disease. Sea level rise: may lead to increases in sedimentation for reefs located near land-based sources of sediment. Sedimentation runoff can lead to the smothering of coral.

Detailed explanation-4: -Reef-building corals cannot tolerate water temperatures below 64° Fahrenheit (18° Celsius). Many grow optimally in water temperatures between 73° and 84° Fahrenheit (23°–29°Celsius), but some can tolerate temperatures as high as 104° Fahrenheit (40° Celsius) for short periods.

Detailed explanation-5: -When conditions such as the temperature change, corals expel the symbiotic algae living in their tissues, responsible for their colour. A spike of 1–2°C in ocean temperatures sustained over several weeks can lead to bleaching, turning corals white. If corals are bleached for prolonged periods, they eventually die.