Coral Bleaching: A Breakdown of Symbiosis
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Browse Full-length Non-member Titles![A discoloured coral colony labeled, bleached coral colony. Caption: The symbiont provides 75 percent to 80 percent of the energy.](https://org-dcmp-staticassets.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/posterimages/12826_1.jpg)
Corals get much of their energy from symbiotic algae that live inside their cells. When ocean temperatures rise beyond a certain threshold, the algae’s photosynthetic machinery may be damaged and produce harmful reactive oxygen molecules. This animation shows how corals subsequently eject their algae in a process called coral bleaching, which causes the corals to turn white and often eventually die.
Media Details
Runtime: 3 minutes 47 seconds
- Topic: Science
- Subtopic: Environmental Issues, Marine Life, Oceanography
- Grade/Interest Level: 10 - 12
- Standards:
- Release Year: 2014
- Producer/Distributor: Howard Hughes Medical Institute
- Report a Problem
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