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.
The Indonesian seas are a biodiversity hotspot, harboring the highest coral diversity in the tropics and home to an extraordinary variety of marine life. Yet these unique ecosystems have been under growing pressure for years, ...
Ecology
May 12, 2026
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Austin Bowden-Kerby, a pioneer in coral reef conservation, spends many of his days gardening corals for reefs around Fiji and the Pacific. He grows corals in ocean nurseries. Once they're healthy enough, he moves them to ...
Ecology
May 6, 2026
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For decades, coral reefs throughout the Caribbean have been suffering from disease, pollution, overfishing and rising sea temperatures, yet most have continued to grow—until now.
Environment
May 5, 2026
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Scientists led by the University of Southampton have revealed that an imbalance of nutrients in seawater can cause coral disease—possibly to a greater extent than that from heat stress of warming oceans. New research conducted ...
Ecology
May 5, 2026
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Every time you go for a swim, some of your sunscreen gets left behind. An estimated 25% of applied sunscreen washes off during recreational water activities, releasing some 5,000 tons annually in reef areas alone, according ...
Ecology
Apr 28, 2026
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Assisted evolution could help corals survive future heat waves, but careful trait choice and strong repeated selection will be needed for it to be effective. As global temperatures rise, marine heat waves are becoming more ...
Evolution
Apr 17, 2026
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84
UK researchers have developed a first-of-its-kind bespoke AI system designed to assess coral health and detect early stress, helping to prevent restoration projects from failing. Led by PhD research student at the University ...
Ecology
Apr 14, 2026
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Evolution works over millennia. Climate change is moving far faster. That mismatch is killing some of the planet's most vital ecosystems, from California's towering redwoods to the seagrass meadows along its coast, both of ...
Ecology
Apr 10, 2026
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Coral reefs are important in many ways, but they also play a major role in protecting much of the world's coastlines from erosion by blocking up to 90% of incoming wave energy. During a tropical cyclone, the waves breaking ...
Ecology
Apr 10, 2026
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13
Climate-driven disturbances such as marine heat waves are rapidly reducing coral cover and degrading reef ecosystems worldwide. Using a mathematical model, a research team led by Subhendu Chakraborty at the Leibniz Center ...
Ecology
Mar 25, 2026
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