A close-up look at the Great Barrier Reef’s bleaching
 

A close-up look at the Great Barrier Reef’s bleaching
http://rack.0.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyM...adcd589b79.jpghttp://rack.1.mshcdn.com/assets/feed...50839a8e00.jpghttp://rack.1.mshcdn.com/assets/feed...32c6f24ba1.jpg
These images are a selection of photos taken recently near Lizard Island off the **rth Queensland coast in Australia. They document the ongoing bleaching*on the Great Barrier Reef as ocean temperatures continue to be driven upward by climate change.

SEE ALSO: Coral bleaching comes to the Great Barrier Reef


The bleaching process

Before corals bleach, they are often a deep brown or khaki-green colour. These colours come from the symbiotic algae (sometimes called zooxanthellae) that co-exist with the coral polyp.

http://rack.3.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyM...34-11ortpe.jpg

Before bleaching…

Image: Justin Marshall/coralwatch.org


During bleaching, as the symbiotic algae depart, you can see the beautifully coloured polyps. Sometimes polyps are transparent and we see only the white skeleton beneath. Other polyps may be brightly coloured, as seen here. Read more...


More about Environment, Great Barrier Reef, Australia, and Worldhttp://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/mash.to...ord=1460600259http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Mashable/~4/t-Ko3k69H3U