Coral bleaching is a stress-induced biological process in which reef-building scleractinian corals lose all or most of their endosymbiotic dinoflagellates (family Symbiodiniaceae) and/or their photosynthetic pigments, leading to visible paling or whitening of coral tissues. Triggered primarily by elevated sea surface temperatures, but also by light stress, pollution, or oxidative stress, bleaching involves disruption of the coral–algal symbiosis through mechanisms such as reactive oxygen species overproduction, damage to photosystem II, and activation of host cellular stress pathways that drive symbiont expulsion or degradation. Prolonged or repeated bleaching events impair coral metabolism, calcification, and reproduction, often increasing mortality and restructuring reef ecosystems.
There is a more than 60% chance that a "super" El Niño will develop by the end of this year.
Plants & Animals
Jun 17, 2026
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In the crystalline waters off Kenya's coast, coral reefs are thriving—evidence of a rare good-news story in the battle to protect oceans from the ravages of climate change.
Ecology
Jun 16, 2026
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People's knee-jerk reaction to seeing death in nature is often not positive. The burn scar left by wildfire on a once-forested hillside, or a ghostly white coral reef, may evoke tragedy and despair. But in nature, most plants ...
Ecology
Jun 11, 2026
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Oceans are in a "deepening crisis" that demands urgent global action, a major U.N. report warned Monday, with seas warming and rising faster, ice cover shrinking, and marine ecosystems under mounting strain.
Environment
Jun 8, 2026
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Indonesia is home to the world's largest and most biodiverse coral reef system, spanning more than 32,000 square kilometers across the archipelago. Just like what is happening globally, these reefs are now bearing the brunt ...
Ecology
Jun 8, 2026
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Researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) have developed a new method to predict coral bleaching five to six months before it occurs, giving reef managers valuable time to protect vulnerable ecosystems. ...
Environment
Jun 2, 2026
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The team of scientists from James Cook University, University of Western Australia and Edith Cowan University surveyed coral reefs in the West Australian Houtman Abrolhos group of islands (HAI), publishing their findings ...
Plants & Animals
May 22, 2026
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The arrival of a potentially powerful El Niño weather system this year could devastate coral reefs around the world already weakened by back-to-back rounds of bleaching, scientists warn.
Ecology
May 22, 2026
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Tropical coral reefs support the highest levels of biodiversity in the ocean. This vital ecosystem depends on reef-building corals, which form colonies of thousands of tiny coral animals that secrete calcium carbonate skeletons, ...
Plants & Animals
May 20, 2026
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Living by the sea in the tropics means being exposed to some of nature's most powerful forces. Hurricanes can bring storm surges, flooding and destructive waves that threaten homes, infrastructure and livelihoods.
Plants & Animals
May 12, 2026
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