Majestic Corals  

Corals are home to zooxanthellae, an algae living in their tissues sharing a symbiotic relationship with them. The coral provides the algae with a protected environment and food. In return, the algae produce oxygen for the corals. These algae are responsible for the vibrant colours of corals that we all love. This unique relationship between these two species is responsible for the creation of one of the most beautiful ecosystems on Earth.

Bleached Corals  

However, due to various anthropogenic causes like pollution, global warming, over-fishing etc, coral polyps get stressed and react by expelling this algae, leaving a transparent white skeleton behind. This is known as ‘coral bleaching’.These polyps without the algae starve and lose all their stunning beauty. The rich biodiversity dependent on the corals is also harmed and they are forced to evacuate the coral colonies.

Dead Corals  

In some instances corals can recover from bleaching. If conditions return to normal and stay that way corals can regain their algae and return to their previous beauty. However prolonged stressors can leave the living coral in a weakened state after which they eventually die and turn black. According to a new report, in the last decade, the world has lost about 14 percent of its coral reefs and this percentage is expected to further increase.

Save Corals  

Corals impact life both on land and underwater. Healthy coral colonies imply good health of the surrounding marine ecosystem.They support a quarter of all marine species in just one percent of the marine environment. As the current inhabitants of Earth, we owe it to our posterity to preserve these beautiful corals. We can help by understanding the importance of coral reefs, adopting a sustainable lifestyle and saving the health of our oceans.