But coral bleaching is much more than an aesthetic loss. Download this infographic: In English | In Spanish. Thank you for signing up to Live Science. Coral bleaching occurs when coral polyps expel algae that live inside their tissues. In 2005, the U.S. lost half of its coral reefs in the Caribbean in one year due to a massive bleaching event. If the water temperature goes back to normal, the coral can eventually regain algae and their color, but even the fastest growing corals need 10 to 15 years to fully recover, according to a 2013 study published in the journal Science. This nitrogen filled pollution smothers corals, blocking them from sunlight and fueling algal blooms, which drives outbreaks of the coral-eating crown of … Coral bleaching is a stress response caused by the breakdown of the symbiotic relationship between the coral and the algae (zooxanthellae) that live inside its tissues. The zooxanthellae live within the coral in a mutually beneficial relationship, each helping the … Rising ocean temperatures are the fundamental cause. Bleaching is strongly associated with heat stress, although changes in salinity, light and periods of cool water can also cause corals to bleach. Under environmental stress, the intricate algae-coral partnership becomes unhinged. It can cost $25 to $200 to grow and plant a single coral, Vaughan said. Starting in January 2019, he's taking his reef-restoration efforts global through his Plant a Million Corals effort, in which he travels the world educating and consulting clients on how to restore the reefs near them. 3. Stay up to date on the coronavirus outbreak by signing up to our newsletter today. The warm waters centered around the northern Antilles near the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico expanded southward. Coral bleaching happens when corals lose their vibrant colours and turn white. The demise of these reefs, via bleaching and collapse, would cost the U.S. $100 million a year in additional flood damages, the same study concluded. Coral bleaching, whitening of coral that results from the loss of a coral’s symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) or the degradation of the algae’s photosynthetic pigment. Once the algae are gone, the coral's bright white calcium-carbonate exoskeleton is visible through its transparent tissue, hence the name coral bleaching. Coral bleaching happens gradually, said Ruben Torres, a marine scientist and the founder of Reef Check Dominican Republic, a nonprofit ocean-conservation group. Coral are bright and colorful because of microscopic algae called zooxanthellae. The algae, in turn, share the nutrients produced by photosynthesis with the coral. Chemical run-off from poor farming practices is impacting the Reef’s water quality . In 2005, the corals their color from the tiny creatures living inside the:. 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