Coral Reefs: A Crisis Beneath the Waves

Coral reefs are dying at an unprecedented rate and the science behind it is more shocking than you

think. Picture coral as a tiny apartment building where colorful animals live with

microscopic algae roommates. These algae are like solar panels that feed the coral

in exchange for a safe home. This partnership has worked perfectly for 240 million

years. But here's what's breaking it apart. When ocean temperatures rise just half a

degree above normal, the algae start producing toxic oxygen. It's like your roommate

suddenly filling your apartment with poison gas. The coral has no choice but to kick

them out. Without their algae, corals turn ghostly white. That's bleaching.