Hawaii to experience worst-ever coral bleaching due to high ocean temperatures
Source: Associated Press
Hawaii to experience worst-ever coral bleaching due to high ocean temperatures
Associated Press in Honolulu, Hawaii
Sunday 13 September 2015 20.49 BST
Warmer-than-normal ocean temperatures around Hawaii this year will likely lead to the worst coral bleaching the islands have ever seen, scientists said.
Many corals are only just recovering from last year’s bleaching, which occurs when warm waters prompt coral to expel the algae they rely on for food, said Ruth Gates, the director of the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology. The phenomenon is called bleaching because coral lose their color when they push out algae.
The island chain experienced a mass bleaching event in 1996, and another one last year. This year, ocean temperatures around Hawaii are about 3F to 6F warmer than normal, said Chris Brenchley, meteorologist for the US National Weather Service (NWS) in Honolulu.
Bleaching makes coral more susceptible to disease and increases the risk they will die. This is a troubling for fish and other species that spawn and live in coral reefs. It is also a concern for Hawaii’s tourism-dependent economy.
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Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/sep/13/hawaii-coral-bleaching-scientists-predict-worst-ever