What's the correlation between global temperature rise and coral bleaching?

Global temperature rise is directly correlated with coral bleaching, as warmer waters cause stress to corals leading to bleaching.

Coral bleaching is a phenomenon that occurs when corals are stressed by changes in conditions such as temperature, light, or nutrients. The most common cause of coral bleaching is the rise in sea surface temperatures due to global warming. Corals are very sensitive to temperature changes and even a slight increase can cause them to expel the symbiotic algae living in their tissues, known as zooxanthellae. This results in the coral turning completely white, hence the term 'bleaching'.

The symbiotic relationship between corals and zooxanthellae is crucial for the survival of the coral. The algae provide the coral with the nutrients they need for growth and reproduction, while the coral provides the algae with a protected environment and the compounds necessary for photosynthesis. When this relationship is disrupted due to the expulsion of the algae, the coral loses its major source of food and is more susceptible to disease.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has predicted that if global temperatures continue to rise at the current rate, most of the world's coral reefs will be severely degraded by the end of the century. This is because the frequency and intensity of coral bleaching events are expected to increase as temperatures rise.

Moreover, the recovery of corals from bleaching events is a slow process and can take up to a decade or more. However, with the increasing frequency of these events due to global warming, corals are not being given enough time to recover, leading to long-term damage and potential loss of entire coral reef ecosystems.

In conclusion, the correlation between global temperature rise and coral bleaching is a direct and alarming one. As global temperatures continue to rise due to human activities, the health and survival of coral reefs around the world are under serious threat. This not only impacts the biodiversity of these ecosystems but also the millions of people who rely on them for their livelihoods.