Extreme low tides Exposure to the air during extreme low tides can cause bleaching in shallow corals. Overexposure to sunlight When temperatures are high, high solar irradiance contributes to bleaching in shallow-water corals. Runoff and pollution Storm generated precipitation can rapidly dilute ocean water and runoff can carry pollutants - these can bleach near-shore corals. WHAT CAUSES BLEACHING? Change in ocean temperature Increased ocean temperature caused by climate change is the leading cause of coral bleaching.Without the algae, the coral loses its major source of food, turns white or very pale, and is more susceptible to disease. Bleached Coral: Coral is left bleached and vulnerable. When the symbiotic relationship becomes stressed due to increased ocean temperature or pollution, the algae leave the coral's tissue. These algae are the coral’s primary food source and give them their color Stressed Coral: If stressed, algae leaves the coral. Corals have a symbiotic relationship with microscopic algae called zooxanthellae that live in their tissues. Healthy Coral: Coral and algae depend on each other to survive.Have you ever wondered how a coral becomes bleached? Researchers will evaluate if this cold-stress event will make corals more susceptible to disease in the same way that warmer waters impact corals. Water temperatures dropped -6.7 degrees Celsius lower than the typical temperatures observed at this time of year. In January 2010, cold water temperatures in the Florida Keys caused a coral bleaching event that resulted in some coral death. Not all bleaching events are due to warm water. 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. The warm waters centered around the northern Antilles near the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico expanded southward. lost half of its coral reefs in the Caribbean in one year due to a massive bleaching event. Corals can survive a bleaching event, but they are under more stress and are subject to mortality. When water is too warm, corals will expel the algae (zooxanthellae) living in their tissues causing the coral to turn completely white. Warmer water temperatures can result in coral bleaching. Download this infographic: In English | In Spanish If the algae loss is prolonged and the stress continues, coral eventually dies. Can coral survive a bleaching event? If the stress-caused bleaching is not severe, coral have been known to recover.
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