Estimating Coral Feeding Habits from Space
May 21, 2019
Dr. Michael Fox, Postdoctoral Scholar at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Reef-building corals rely on a symbiosis with microscopic algae for much of their energetic needs. Rising ocean temperatures threaten this symbiosis and can cause it to break down in a process known as coral bleaching, which is one of the primary threats to the persistence of coral reef ecosystems globally. Corals are not helpless, however, as they are also excellent predators and if they can capture food to maintain their energy budgets while bleached they may have a greater chance for survival. Learn how natural variation in food availability on reefs around the world and how this may influence coral resilience and recovery from bleaching events.
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