Term
coral bleaching
Term
a phenomenon occurring when corals under stress expel their mutualistic microscopic algae, called zooxanthellae. This results in a severe decrease or even total loss of photosynthetic pigments. Since most reef building corals have white calcium carbonate skeletons, the latter show through the corals' tissue, and the coral reef appears bleached. [JVG]
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For references, please go to https://www.eea.europa.eu/help/glossary/chm-biodiversity/coral-bleaching or scan the QR code.
PDF generated on 30 Jan 2023, 10:27 AM
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