Brazil's fire corals may be facing silent extinction, experts say
According to the authors of a study published in the journal Coral Reefs, fire corals may be undergoing a "silent extinction." Coral bleaching occurs when seawater temperatures rise, causing the zooxanthellae (microalgae that live inside the coral skeleton and provide food for the corals) to produce...
Image: Phys.org
According to the authors of a study published in the journal Coral Reefs, fire corals may be undergoing a "silent extinction." Coral bleaching occurs when seawater temperatures rise, causing the zooxanthellae (microalgae that live inside the coral skeleton and provide food for the corals) to produce harmful compounds and be expelled. Consequently, the corals turn white and may die from a lack of energy.
Originally published at Phys.org
