Almost every time I watch a program or read an article about coral bleaching in the ocean, it is described like this:
"Warmer water temperatures can result in coral bleaching. When water is too warm, corals will expel the algae (zooxanthellae) living in their tissues causing the coral to turn completely white. This is called coral bleaching. When a coral bleaches, it is not dead. Corals can survive a bleaching event, but they are under more stress and are subject to mortality." (copied from NOAA . https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/coral_bleach.html )
I think this is wrong. Corals cannot survive bleaching events. I have (sadly) killed well over a 100 different corals in my decade of reefing. I have never seen a completely white coral recover, or even attempt to recover.
In my experience, if a coral turns completely white, not only has it lost its zooxanthellae, but it has also lost its skin, and its polyps are also gone. In my book, a completely white coral is dead. Period.
I want to know what you guys think.
Have you ever seen a coral turn completely white, then recover?
"Warmer water temperatures can result in coral bleaching. When water is too warm, corals will expel the algae (zooxanthellae) living in their tissues causing the coral to turn completely white. This is called coral bleaching. When a coral bleaches, it is not dead. Corals can survive a bleaching event, but they are under more stress and are subject to mortality." (copied from NOAA . https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/coral_bleach.html )
I think this is wrong. Corals cannot survive bleaching events. I have (sadly) killed well over a 100 different corals in my decade of reefing. I have never seen a completely white coral recover, or even attempt to recover.
In my experience, if a coral turns completely white, not only has it lost its zooxanthellae, but it has also lost its skin, and its polyps are also gone. In my book, a completely white coral is dead. Period.
I want to know what you guys think.
Have you ever seen a coral turn completely white, then recover?