Soaring Temperatures Impact Coral September 22, 2010 by lukesheppard

Corals in the Caribbean could start dying out in the next few weeks after being exposed to soaring water temperatures, scientists have said. Scuba divers in the area will be concerned to hear about the danger corals in the Caribbean are facing. Water temperatures are higher than they were during the record bleaching period of five years ago, it was revealed. Corals are bleached when they are exposed to warm water which leads to them either consuming the colours of the algae they host or repelling it.

Coordinator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Coral Reef Watch network Mark Eakin warned that the issue is just beginning as the islands have entered their warmest month for water temperatures. “I would love for the forecast to be wrong,” he said. “But the potential for bleaching this year is higher than in 2005.”