Question

What causes coral bleaching?

Water acidity and high water temperatures make coral polyps more prone to infection, causing them to turn white in color

High water temperatures boil coral polyps, causing them to turn white in color

High water temperatures and water acidity cause coral polyps to expel algae, causing them to turn white in color

Water acidity causes coral polyps to lose their photosynthetic abilities, causing them to turn white in color

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

High water temperatures and water acidity cause coral polyps to expel algae, causing them to turn white in color. This is known as coral bleaching. The loss of algae, which provide the coral with energy through photosynthesis, can weaken the coral and make it more vulnerable to stressors such as disease and pollution.