No Relief To Coral Reefs In The Near Future, Says NOAA

Coral bleaching and reef die-off has been a matter of discussion among environmentalists for quite some time now. Adding to the existing concerns, the the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have predicted that the condition of the coral reefs will only grow worse in the coming year and that there is no end to coral bleaching in the near future.

According to reports, NOAA has predicted that coral reefs around the world will be exposed to abnormally high temperature for the third year in a row. This will, in turn, expose them to further bleaching.

The director of NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program, Jennifer Koss says that now it is time for the environmentalists around the world to shift their attention to the conservation of the amazing organisms that face the threat of the global bleaching event that has no visible end.

Koss further believes that only local conservation efforts are not enough at all. In fact, environmentalists and experts around the world should collaborate and figure out the type of efforts that must be taken to fight the effects of climate change.

Coral bleaching starts to take place when dirtier and warmer water disturb the symbiotic relationship between coral and the zooxanthellae algae that live inside the corals. While corals provide shelter, algae provides nutrients to the corals, in addition to the bright colors.

With an increase in temperature due to climate change, the corals expel the algae. In the absence of nutrients and bright colors, the corals turn white and gets calcified.

However, this process is reversed when the temperature of the water cools down. That is, the algae returns to the corals when the water cools down. In case the water doesn't cool, the coral die off. This is particularly concerning, especially considering the fact that the global temperature has been increasing since mid-2014.