Coral lives in a symbiotic relationship with photosynthetic algae, which dwell in its tissues and supply critical sustenance. However, high temperatures and other pressures can cause algae to become hazardous. Because the coral’s clear tissue and white calcium carbonate skeleton are revealed, the algae may die or be ejected by the coral, a process known as bleaching. If the coral is unable to reestablish its connection with algae, it will starve or succumb to illness.
In 1997 and 1998, the condition spread globally, killing around 16% of the world’s corals. Harrison’s ghost cities are spreading because of rising temperatures, pollution, sickness, increased ocean acidity, invading species, and other threats.
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Despite the devastation, the Great Barrier Reef remains a colossus—some 3,000 individual reefs spread along 1,400 miles of Australia’s northeast coast—and a rarity: Tropical, shallow-water coral reef complexes account for fewer than 1% of the seafloor. Even the demise of a single reef has catastrophic consequences; these ecosystems support at least a fifth of all ocean life. Reefs are also important for human populations because they protect coastlines from storms, support fisheries, and attract tourists.
Meanwhile, as global temperatures rise, some scientists are preparing by storing hard corals in “living biobanks” in order to preserve as much diversity as possible. The organization Great Barrier Reef Legacy and its collaborators have developed the Living Coral Biobank in Australia, where a seashore “ark” will contain the more than 800 hard-coral species from around the world.
Source: nationalgeographic.com
