Coral bleaching aids survival in changing environments
Coral bleaching, traditionally thought to be a response to adverse environmental conditions, may help corals survive in changed environments.
Jun 17, 2001
The bleaching of reef corals — in which the symbiotic algae are lost from the reef-building invertebrates — is usually assumed to be a severe response to an adverse change in environmental conditions. In June 15
Reef corals are formed as a result of the symbiosis between scleractinian (stony) corals and photosynthetic dinoflagellate algae. Different types of algal symbiont are present depending upon the depth of the coral and are referred to as shallow, 'high-light' algae or deep, 'low-light' algae. In order to identify the effect of bleaching on the stability of these depth distributions Baker reciprocally transplanted 8 species of Caribbean coral between 'shallow' (2-4 m) and 'deep' (20-30...