Coral bleaching

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/coral-bleaching

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Phylum Cnidaria, Class Anthozoa (corals are animals, not plants)
2. What is the primary energy source loss?Zooxanthellae provide up to 90% of coral's energy through photosynthesis
3. What causes coral bleaching?When the water gets a little warmer than the coral likes—usually just 1-2°C higher—tiny algae inside the coral start making harmful chemicals. The coral then pushes the algae out, and the reef looks white.
4. Why do corals turn white during bleaching?The coral turns white because it loses the colorful algae that live inside it. Without the algae, the coral’s outer layer looks pale and the skeleton shows through.

Endosymbiosis: A mutually beneficial relationship where one organism lives inside another.
Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS): Unstable molecules produced during stress that can damage cells.
Ocean Acidification: The ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth's oceans, caused by uptake of CO2.
Ecosystem Services: Benefits that humans receive from natural ecosystems, like coastal protection.