Coral Bleaching

This video is part of a story at http://climateXchange.aspacnet.org/story_64.html

Corals get up to 90% of their energy supply from the zooxanthellae that live within them. Stressful conditions (including high water temperature) cause the corals to expel their zooxanthellae. Bleached corals begin to starve once they bleach.

The Great Barrier Reef has been affected by mass bleaching events. Widespread bleaching occurred in 1998 and again in 2002. In both of these years, bleaching was recorded on 50-60 per cent of reefs.

More recently in the summer of 2006, reefs in the southern part of the Great Barrier Reef were affected by bleaching. Unusually high sea temperatures around inshore reefs caused 40% of corals to die at these reefs.

We can all make a difference to the health of the reef by minimising our contributions to climate change by reducing our greenhouse gas emissions.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• climateXchange
• climate
• change

[yyy23456]

This is not good. If the reefs vanish, the fish that live in them die. Those small fish supply food to all the other creatures in the ocean. Basically, when you kill the bottom of the food chain, everything above it dies too. LET'S STOP GLOBAL WARMING!!! Happy Earth Day.

[angieangel135]

that's just what the major oil companies and mining industries want you to believe. There's much more evidence for climate change occuring then there is against it. Plus studies against climate change occuring is usually paid for by industries that will benefit from this. Such studies are not usually even published in scientific journals where they can be critiqued by other scientists.

[kvblakely]

GREAT VIDEO!!! EDUCATION IS THE KEY TO SAVING OUR REEFS. The Aquarium of Niagara (Niagara Falls, NY) is in the running for a grant through the Pepsi Refresh Project. The goal is to build an educational reef display, as well as start a coral propagation program. In order to get the grant they need people to vote for their project.

You can vote by texting 102344 To: 73774 or search "Niagara Reef" for more info.

For more info search "Niagara Reef" on Facebook.

[singpingpongsong]

@printeroo hahahh you, my friend, are brilliant

[PikaPlushie]

@yumyumshisha

eew, no. this is bad, but there are better ways to solve these problems than taking more from the public

[shecanfeel]

i understand global warming is devastating coral reefs such as the great barrier, but wouldnt climate change just relocate the corals else where in the ocean?

[abyssquick]

Only in America. Meanwhile in the rest of the Western world (who are, curiously, more science literate - look it up) are deciding on the proper course of action to prevent further social and ecological problems, than those already being caused. Yes that's right. That media anti-science bullshit you get in the USA ... that's called "politics" ... and it's because your media is corporate owned. Run by money, to protect money.

[printeroo]

Obama's a clown and global warming is a falacy

[perein03]

teeny bopper

[Healinghuman]

Yeah ,she sounds happy with it! That's a tragedy, though.

[abvmoose87]

she talks like this is some sort of commercial