Definitions for coral bleaching
coral bleach·ing

WiktionaryRate this definition:3.0 / 2 votes

1. coral bleachingnoun

   The loss of colour in a coral reef due to the loss of symbiotic algae as a result of stress

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Coral bleaching

   Coral bleaching is the process when corals become white due to various stressors, such as changes in temperature, light, or nutrients. Bleaching occurs when coral polyps expel the zooxanthellae (dinoflagellates that are commonly referred to as algae) that live inside their tissue, causing the coral to turn white. The zooxanthellae are photosynthetic, and as the water temperature rises, they begin to produce reactive oxygen species. This is toxic to the coral, so the coral expels the zooxanthellae. Since the zooxanthellae produce the majority of coral colouration, the coral tissue becomes transparent, revealing the coral skeleton made of calcium carbonate. Most bleached corals appear bright white, but some are blue, yellow, or pink due to pigment proteins in the coral.The leading cause of coral bleaching is rising ocean temperature due to climate change. A temperature about 1 °C (or 2 °F) above average can cause bleaching. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, between 2014 and 2016, the longest recorded global bleaching events killed coral on an unprecedented scale. In 2016, bleaching of coral on the Great Barrier Reef killed between 29 and 50 percent of the reef's coral. In 2017, the bleaching extended into the central region of the reef. The average interval between bleaching events has halved between 1980 and 2016. The world's most bleaching tolerant corals can be found in the southern Persian/Arabian Gulf. Some of these corals bleach only when water temperatures exceed ~35 °C.Bleached corals continue to live, but they are more vulnerable to disease and starvation. Zooxanthellae provide up to 90 percent of the coral's energy, so corals are deprived of nutrients when zooxanthellae are expelled. Some corals recover if conditions return to normal, and some corals can feed themselves. However, the majority of coral without zooxanthellae starve.Normally, coral polyps live in an endosymbiotic relationship with zooxanthellae. This relationship is crucial for the health of the coral and the reef, which provide shelter for approximately 25% of all marine life. In this relationship, the coral provides the zooxanthellae with shelter. In return, the zooxanthellae provide compounds that give energy to the coral through photosynthesis. This relationship has allowed coral to survive for at least 210 million years in nutrient-poor environments. Coral bleaching is caused by the breakdown of this relationship.

WikidataRate this definition:4.0 / 1 vote

1. Coral bleaching

   Coral bleaching is the loss of intracellular endosymbionts through either expulsion or loss of algal pigmentation. The corals that form the structure of the great reef ecosystems of tropical seas depend upon a symbiotic relationship with unicellular flagellate protozoa that are photosynthetic and live within their tissues. Zooxanthellae give coral its coloration, with the specific color depending on the particular clade. Under stress, corals may expel their zooxanthellae, which leads to a lighter or completely white appearance, hence the term "bleached".

How to pronounce coral bleaching?

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How to say coral bleaching in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of coral bleaching in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of coral bleaching in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

Examples of coral bleaching in a Sentence

1. Marie Strader:

   We intended this paper to serve as a humble blueprint for how researchers can use this technology to study the functions of coral genes, we are currently conducting experiments investigating how specific genes regulate coral skeletal formation, or calcification, for example. However, we expect this technique could be useful to identify genes involved in many other ecologically important traits such as thermal tolerance or coral bleaching.

2. Adam Markham:

   Some Easter Island statues are at risk of being lost to the sea because of coastal erosion, many of the world's most important coral reefs, including in the islands of New Caledonia in the western Pacific, have suffered unprecedented coral bleaching linked to climate change this year. Climate change could eventually even cause some World Heritage sites to lose their status.

References

1. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Coral_Bleaching
2. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_Bleaching
3. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=coral bleaching