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2017/02/10
Large-scale bleaching of coral reefs
Aerial shot of bleached coral reefs along Ishigaki Island's coral coastline. Diving into the sea to observe bleached coral reefs at the bottom of the sea.
Zooxanthella, which is a type of alga, lives inside corals. When the sea water temperature rises above 30 degrees celcius, or when alga receives stress, it abandons its coral. As a result of this abandonment, the corals start to lose the alga's pigment and turn white. This phenomena is called coral bleaching and global warming is said to be the leading cause of it.
Nature
