Vulnerability of corals to seawater warming -Winter School on Impact of Climate Change on Indian Marine Fisheries held at CMFRI, Cochin 18.1.2008 to 7.2.2008

Abstract

Coral reefs are the most diverse marine habitat, which support an estimated 0.5 to 2.0 million species in the world oceans. They are among the most sensitive of all ecosystems to temperature changes, exhibiting bleaching (a phenomenon in which the symbiotic zooxanthellae are expelled by coral polyps) when stressed by higher than normal sea temperatures. The hypothesis that corals and associated reef organisms might be the first to show adverse effects of global warming has been widely recognized. Coral bleaching is by far the most damaging event in coral reefs and is currently viewed as a major threat to the long-term health of coral reef communities.