Caribbean Coral Bleaching

When waters get too warm, coral expel the microscopic algae living in their tissues which provide them with food. Scientists are still unsure of the reasons for this behavior, but the end result is that the coral lose their color, turning bone-white as if they've been bleached. If the bleaching continues for more than a week, the coral die and so do the marine animals that rely on them.

A monitoring system maintained by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced the onset of a bleaching event in late August, which has since spread throughout much of the waters of the eastern Caribbean.

So far, coral colonies representing 42 species have been affected, according to Puerto Rican scientists. In some of those colonies up to 95 percent of the coral have been bleached.

By monitoring the bleachings, NOAA hopes to provide early alert to coral reef managers, giving them time to mobilize monitoring efforts and response strategies.

--Ker Than

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Credit:  NOAA