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: -The leading cause of coral bleaching is climate change. A warming planet means a warming ocean, and a change in water temperature-as little as 2 degrees Fahrenheit-can cause coral to drive out algae. Coral may bleach for other reasons, like extremely low tides, pollution, or too much sunlight.

Detailed explanation-3: -Rising (or even falling) water temperatures can stress coral polyps, causing them to lose algae (or zooxanthellae) that live in the polpys’ tissues. This results in “coral bleaching, ” so called because the algae give coral their color and when the algae “jump ship, ” the coral turns completely white.

Detailed explanation-4: -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.