Coral Reefs: A Dying Ecosystem

Coral reefs are dying and most people have no idea why. When ocean temperatures rise just half a

degree above normal, corals literally kick out their tiny algae partners that give them food and

color. This is coral bleaching. Without these algae, corals starve and turn ghost white.

Scientists estimate 19 percent of reefs are already destroyed, and another 15 percent could disappear

within ten years. These underwater cities support a third of all marine life on less than

one percent of ocean space. The math is terrifying.