Everything you need to know about coral bleaching—and how we can stop it

Coral bleaching occurs when corals expel symbiotic algae due to environmental stress, primarily warming oceans caused by climate change. This process threatens marine biodiversity, coastal safety, and human livelihoods, with approximately 84% of tropical coral reefs experiencing severe heat stress between 2023 and 2025. Mitigation requires both individual actions to reduce pollution and global efforts to reduce emissions and transition to renewable energy.

• Coral bleaching is primarily driven by climate change, as a water temperature increase of as little as 2 degrees Fahrenheit can cause corals to expel the zooxanthellae algae they need to survive. Other triggers include pollution, excessive sunlight, and extremely low tides.
• Between 2023 and 2025, heat stress severe enough to trigger bleaching affected approximately 84% of tropical coral reefs globally, spanning at least 83 countries and territories.
• The collapse of reef ecosystems threatens marine biodiversity, including sea turtles, fish, and crustaceans, and undermines human food security, livelihoods, and coastal protection against storm surges.
• Solving coral bleaching requires a combination of reducing local runoff and herbicides alongside global, immediate action to reduce emissions, stop deforestation, and transition to renewable energy.

APA

Hancock, L. (n.d.). Everything you need to know about coral bleaching—and how we can stop it. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/explainers/everything-you-need-to-know-about-coral-bleachingand-how-we-can-stop-it/

Chicago

Hancock, Lorin. Everything you need to know about coral bleaching—and how we can stop it. WWF International, n.d. https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/explainers/everything-you-need-to-know-about-coral-bleachingand-how-we-can-stop-it/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hancock |first1=Lorin |title=Everything you need to know about coral bleaching—and how we can stop it |publisher=WWF International |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/explainers/everything-you-need-to-know-about-coral-bleachingand-how-we-can-stop-it/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hancockndeverything, author = {Hancock, Lorin}, title = {{Everything you need to know about coral bleaching—and how we can stop it}}, institution = {WWF International}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/explainers/everything-you-need-to-know-about-coral-bleachingand-how-we-can-stop-it/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }