Coral Bleaching & Acidification
Science · Ocean Life · conceptual
Explain the mutualistic symbiosis between coral polyps and photosynthetic zooxanthellae; describe how heat stress causes bleaching (corals expel zooxanthellae and turn white); explain ocean acidification chemistry: CO2 dissolves in seawater to form carbonic acid, lowering pH and dissolving calcium carbonate skeletons; connect reef loss to the collapse of habitat for ~25% of marine species; evaluate current reef restoration efforts
Check your understanding
Has Coral Bleaching & Acidification heard of coral bleaching? Can they explain what's actually happening to the coral — what breaks down between the coral and the tiny algae living inside it, and why warmer or more acidic water triggers this?
Prerequisites
Required first