You are monitoring coral growth on a specific site for several months. Over time, you notice that some of the coral colonies are beginning to turn white and die. What process could you infer is happening on the coral reef site?

The coral reef is experiencing succession, so over time the coral will continue to die off gradually as the zooxanthellae algae leaves the coral polyps.

The coral reef is experiencing succession, so the coral will continue to die off quickly as the zooxanthellae algae leaves the coral polyps.

The coral reef is experiencing climate change, so the rise in ocean temperatures is causing the coral to bleach as the zooxanthellae algae leaves the coral polyps.

The coral reef is experiencing climate change, so the coral will die off from seasonal variation, which has no impact on zooxanthellae algae in the coral polyps.

Question

Biology

Angelica Thomas

7 July, 13:31

You are monitoring coral growth on a specific site for several months. Over time, you notice that some of the coral colonies are beginning to turn white and die. What process could you infer is happening on the coral reef site?

The coral reef is experiencing succession, so over time the coral will continue to die off gradually as the zooxanthellae algae leaves the coral polyps.

The coral reef is experiencing succession, so the coral will continue to die off quickly as the zooxanthellae algae leaves the coral polyps.

The coral reef is experiencing climate change, so the rise in ocean temperatures is causing the coral to bleach as the zooxanthellae algae leaves the coral polyps.

The coral reef is experiencing climate change, so the coral will die off from seasonal variation, which has no impact on zooxanthellae algae in the coral polyps.

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Answers (1)

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Jocelyn Richardson · Answer 1

Again we have bleaching because of warmer air

without zooxanthellae they will turn white.

so the answer is the coral reef is experiencing climate change so the rise in the ocean temps is causing the coarl to bleach as the zooxanthellae leaves the coral polyps.