Climate change spurs global coral bleaching

Nature : One indication of stress on the ocean’s coral reefs is a phenomenon known as coral bleaching, in which the algae-like organisms inhabiting the coral’s structure get expelled and the coral loses its color. To date, coral bleaching has occurred on a global scale three times. The most recent was announced earlier today by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA says the current bleaching event has been brought on by warmer waters due to climate change and the strengthening El Niño in the Pacific Ocean. Although coral reefs can recover from mild bleaching, severe or long-term bleaching can kill the coral, destroying marine-life habitats and reducing protection from storms along shorelines. The current event, which began in 2014, could extend into 2016 and affect more than one-third of the world’s coral reefs, according to NOAA.