Coral reefs provide shelter and food for more than 1 million plant and animal species, which is nearly one quarter of all known marine species. This number includes over 4,000 species of fish, 700 species of coral, and thousands of other plant and animal forms of life (Cesar, et al.). A single coral reef at its prime contains tens of thousands of species, housing some of the most dense and diverse communities of vertebrate animals in the world. Unfortunately, with the destruction that they face, very few coral reefs still resemble this condition, with corals and fishes less abundant than they were a few decades ago. Since we didn’t start studying coral reefs until they were already degrading, we aren’t sure about the historical biological baseline
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However, about 40 percent of the 16 percent of the reefs in the world that were seriously damaged in 1998, due to coral bleaching from El Niño, are either recovering well or have fully recovered. Despite that, since 1998 coral bleaching has become even more severe. Every region has now experienced severe coral bleaching, causing much bleach-induced mortality (see figure 3) (Shah). Zooanthellae, which are what give coral their beautiful colors, live on corals and provide them with 95 percent of their energy for growth, reproduction, and feeding, making them key in coral’s survival. With climate change, this causes the water to warm up, making corals go into stress, which causes the zooxanthellae to desert the coral, which in turn causes the bleached appearance (Cesar, et al.). When a coral is bleached, this does not mean that a coral is dead; but it does mean that are more subject to dying. In fact, if the bleaching is not too severe, coral have been known to recover. However, if the loss of the zooanthallae is prolonged, causing the stress to continue on, the coral will eventually die. The factors that cause corals to go into stress is not just the warming of water, but can also be too cold of a temperature. For example, when water temperatures dropped 12.06 degrees Fahrenheit lower than the typical temperatures in the Florida Keys, it caused a coral bleaching even that resulted in some coral death (“What is coral bleaching?”). With warming of the water, however, there are further consequences. This raise in temperature not only puts coral into stress, but it compromises their immune system, making them more likely to get an infection. Furthermore, bacterial and fungal pathogens thrive in warmer
However, about 40 percent of the 16 percent of the reefs in the world that were seriously damaged in 1998, due to coral bleaching from El Niño, are either recovering well or have fully recovered. Despite that, since 1998 coral bleaching has become even more severe. Every region has now experienced severe coral bleaching, causing much bleach-induced mortality (see figure 3) (Shah). Zooanthellae, which are what give coral their beautiful colors, live on corals and provide them with 95 percent of their energy for growth, reproduction, and feeding, making them key in coral’s survival. With climate change, this causes the water to warm up, making corals go into stress, which causes the zooxanthellae to desert the coral, which in turn causes the bleached appearance (Cesar, et al.). When a coral is bleached, this does not mean that a coral is dead; but it does mean that are more subject to dying. In fact, if the bleaching is not too severe, coral have been known to recover. However, if the loss of the zooanthallae is prolonged, causing the stress to continue on, the coral will eventually die. The factors that cause corals to go into stress is not just the warming of water, but can also be too cold of a temperature. For example, when water temperatures dropped 12.06 degrees Fahrenheit lower than the typical temperatures in the Florida Keys, it caused a coral bleaching even that resulted in some coral death (“What is coral bleaching?”). With warming of the water, however, there are further consequences. This raise in temperature not only puts coral into stress, but it compromises their immune system, making them more likely to get an infection. Furthermore, bacterial and fungal pathogens thrive in warmer