Coral Bleaching

Losing one of earth's most productive ecosytem

Coral reefs have phenomenal amounts of biodiversity and productivity; they are in essence "the rainforests of the oceans." But these ecosystems that were once bursting with life are suffering.

Changes in water temperature, predation, violent storm, El Nino, UV exposure (due to lose of atmospheric ozone) and alkalinity are 'bleaching' the reefs coral.

If the factors causing the bleaching are short term than coral is often able to make a rebound and repair in several weeks or a month. Yet many of these changes are no long term and more frequent.

 As climate change continues it is predicted that "Coral mortality could exceed 95% regionally with species extirpation and extinctions."