What is Coral Bleaching?

December 6, 2017

Kelly Drinnen, NOAA's Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary

Audience: Formal and informal educators

Coral bleaching is one of the side effects of an increasingly warmer ocean. Episodes of coral bleaching are happening more regularly and with greater severity as the years progress. But, what exactly is coral bleaching? Is bleached coral, dead coral? Is bleaching preventable? Can coral recover from bleaching? Join us to look at the biology of corals to understand what coral bleaching is and its potential long-term effects on coral reefs.

Education Materials

Presentation Slides

Coral Educational Resources PDF