Coral Aware – Coral Aware

Corals And Global Warming

Coral reefs are one of the richest ecosystems of the oceans and are an important habitat for many marine species. However, due to the effects of global warming, the health and integrity of coral reefs are under threat. Global warming increases the temperature of ocean waters, which poses serious problems for corals. Corals cannot withstand high temperatures and experience a phenomenon called bleaching due to heat stress. This causes the algae that they symbiotically live with to die, and corals slowly begin to disappear.

The sensitivity of corals to heat is a direct consequence of global warming. However, other effects of global warming also impact corals. One of these effects is ocean acidification. This occurs due to an increase in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, which causes a decrease in carbonate ions necessary for coral calcification. This weakens coral skeletons and reduces their growth rates of the corals. Additionally, increasing carbon dioxide levels reduce oxygen levels in the water, making it difficult for marine life to breathe. Due to global warming, the oxygen level in the oceans has decreased by 2% in the last 50 years. As a result of these factors, 14% of the world's corals have disappeared in the last decade.

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