About This Lesson
Duration: 3 minutes
Grade Level: Appropriate for all ages; content connects to NGSS standards for grades 5 and above
Shallow reefs are particularly sensitive to increasing temperatures. Warming water can cause coral bleaching, when an entire colony of coral polyps loses its color. In this clip, you'll visit the interior of an individual polyp to see how this happens.
Bleached corals are sick, but not dead. Bleached reefs can recover, which is why it's imperative we slow the pace of rising ocean temperatures.
