coral bleaching

[Trainer_Ruby_]

i was doing some research on coral reefs for a school project im doing and one of the articles mentions coral bleaching. all it really says is that the coral expels algae from it and turns white and doesnt really go into much detail about it. when bleaching occurs is that the coral dying?

 

[keegster803]

Yes, coral and the algae in side them have a symbiotic bond, the algae has a place to live, and the coral feeds from the algae. If the algae is gone, the coral dies


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[Gregcoyote]

Corals can, under proper conditions, survive bleaching. In a aquarium, a coral might bleach because of a difference in lighting or even flow. It can, under good conditions, repopulate the algae and the polyps can continue to flourish.


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[Animal-Chin]

I had some red planet acro bleach right out. I was sure it was dead so I took the frag and put it in my coral graveyard which was a spot in the back of the tank behind the rockwork. I used to put frags that didn't make it there, just a little pile of skeletons.


Well this acro LOVED that area and when I took my 55 gallon down to transfer everything to my 125 I found it and it was no longer bleached, it was back to green. I transferred it to my new tank and the red color came back, now its a really nice colony!


Some can come back.

 

[Trainer_Ruby_]

But in the wild how slim would the chance of survival be? The article I read mentioned a massive bleaching in the 1980s specifically. Link to article: http://www.skepticalscience.com/Coral-lifes-a-bleach-and-then-you-die.html


Keep calm and rock on

 

[Gregcoyote]

If the conditions that bleached the coral doesn't improve, the odds are much lower that it will survive bleaching. This is one reason why rising sea temperatures are a disaster to many corals. A few corals like the warmer temps, but what happens is diversity on the reef is impacted. As a diver and reef keeper I am also a environmentalist because I see the effects right in front of me.

In the aquarium, if you improve the conditions that bleached the coral, like too much light exposure, fixing the problem will give the polyps a fighting chance to repopulate the algae. That's if it isn't disease or a factor that kills the polyps off.


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[Trainer_Ruby_]

Are coral considered Carnivores or omnivores?


Keep calm and rock on

 

[Gregcoyote]

I believe they are considered omnivores.


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