The summer of 2024 will see the worst coral bleaching event in recorded history. Critical to marine biodiversity and coastal protection, reefs are threatened by coral bleaching driven by warmer waters due to climate change and other human activities.
“Bleaching” refers to the loss of color in coral. The colorful half of the biological partnership that gives coral its diverse color, a type of algae known as zooxanthellae, is killed by warming water temperatures. Zooxanthellae process food for the coral; when lost, most corals die off. When coral expels zooxanthellae in response to higher temperatures, the reef-building process ends, and the populations of many other species dependent on the reefs collapse.
It’s too late to prevent this year’s coral disaster. As responsible global citizens, we can take meaningful actions to reduce the temperature of the oceans over them and help preserve these vital ecosystems.
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