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coral bleaching
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coral bleaching near the Mariana Islands
What causes coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef?
coral bleaching near Costa Rica coral bleaching of Australia's Great Barrier Reef coral bleaching at Apo Reef endangered coral reefs bleached coral seascape
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coral bleaching near the Mariana Islands
coral bleaching near the Mariana Islands Coral bleaching in a shallow coral reef off the coast of the Mariana Islands.

coral bleaching

marine biology
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Also known as: bleaching
Written by
John P. Rafferty
John P. Rafferty writes about Earth processes and the environment. He serves currently as the editor of Earth and life sciences, covering climatology, geology, zoology, and other topics that relate to...
John P. Rafferty
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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. Bleaching is associated with the devastation of coral reefs, which are home to approximately 25 percent of all marine species. Coral bleaching has a variety of causes. It may result from increases in seawater temperature, particularly when associated with elevated levels of solar irradiance (e.g., ultraviolet radiation), or it may be caused by changes in seawater chemistry (e.g., due to ocean acidification or pollution), increased levels of sediment in seawater, or a coral’s exposure to sodium ...(100 of 417 words)

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