There is a type of algae that lives in the cells of corals. These algae process carbon through photosynthesis and pass it on to corals in the form of glucose, a sugar that provides the energy corals need to survive and function. Corals offer protection for the algae and also produce wastes that the algae need for photosynthesis.
Warmer water temperatures caused by global warming disrupt photosynthesis in the algae, causing a poisonous build-up that threatens corals. This causes corals to force the algae out of their cells.
Predict what will happen to the algae and corals if global warming continues.
If global warming continues, the warmer water temperatures will likely persist, leading to further disruption of photosynthesis in the algae living within the corals. This will result in a continued build-up of toxins that threaten the health and survival of the corals. As a result, the corals will likely continue to expel the algae from their cells in an effort to survive.
Without the algae providing essential energy through glucose and nutrients from waste products, the corals will struggle to survive and may ultimately die. This could lead to the loss of coral reefs, which are important ecosystems that support a wide variety of marine life.
Overall, the continued impacts of global warming on coral reefs and the algae living within them could have devastating consequences for the health of these ecosystems and the biodiversity they support.