Science is Fun Fridays!

 


Often called the "rainforests of the sea," coral reefs are just as important, supporting over 25% of marine life.  If an area of the Amazon turned white, we would be concerned.

But scientists have been fighting for years to make us understand the global red flag of dying reefs.

When they collapse, it's not just a loss of biodiversity, it's a loss of human food security and coastal safety.

The Allen Coral Atlas is powered by Arizona State University, originally conceived by Paul Allen.

Teams have mapped reefs across the globe, and continue to monitor for bleaching events.  All it takes is a 2 degree rise in water temperature for the corals to stress react by purging the algae that lives within it.

The algae is what produces 90% of the coral's energy through photosynthesis.  Without the algae, the polyps turn clear, so all we see is the skeletal structure.  Without enough energy to eat, the coral will eventually die.


Okay, so not fun-filled information, but!  I did think playing around on the map would be fun.

:-)

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