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What does 'bleached coral reef' mean?

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This is called coral bleaching. When a coral bleaches, it is not dead. Corals can survive a bleaching event, but they are under more stress and are subject to mortality. In 2005, the U.S. lost half of its coral reefs in the Caribbean in one year due to a massive bleaching event. read more

Localized bleaching is not uncommon on even healthy, unstressed reefs, when a stressor affects the whole reef, the majority of corals can become bleached. Increased temperatures (anything over about 30 °C or 86 °F) are most commonly associated with coral bleaching. read more

A healthy, resilient reef can either resist a stressful event, like bleaching, or recover from it. When a coral bleaches, it is not dead. Corals can survive if water temperatures return to normal quickly. read more

If coral bleaching isn’t on your radar yet, it will be soon. According to Stephanie Wear, The Nature Conservancy’s director of coral reef conservation, recent steamy temperatures indicate a rough year ahead for the world’s coral reefs. read more

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