Warm Caribbean, Gulf seas threaten corals

‘We are quite concerned,’ coordinator of federal Reef Watch says

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida – Warm ocean temperatures predicted to persist through October in the Caribbean and the central Gulf of Mexico could mean the loss of huge swaths of corals across those regions, U.S. scientists warned Wednesday.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Coral Reef Watch network said the conditions may lead to coral disease outbreaks and bleaching, when the stressed organisms expel the colorful algae living in their tissues, leaving a whitish color.

Coral bleaching that lasts more than a week can kill the organisms, since they rely on the algae for sustenance, leading to the loss of reef habitat for numerous marine species.

MSNBC