The Stressful Reasons Corals Are Becoming More Colorful

[Big Mistake]

Youtube video from SciShow

The Stressful Reasons Corals Are Becoming More Colorful​

Scientists have found Coral reefs in new, dazzling colors, but this is a warning that the reefs are stressed out.

 

[Timfish]

Here's a video done on the first research paper refferenced by SciShow. It's a little more technical and discusses the optical feedback loop in more detail.

 

[Pkunk35]

Very cool video! (obviously coral bleaching is terrible however)

very interesting how they explain why the edges and tips of growing sps are so colorful.

 

[FBAA]

I always find it interesting that people blame global warming for bleaching. Does it cause it, well yes but ignoring the chemicals dumped into the ocean are more of a concern to me. As we know from our own experience in reefing we measure in parts per million in our systems corals are very sensitive to nutrient supply. People look at the ocean reefs as being a nutrient rich world when in reality it's more of a desert environment when it comes to nutrients. The reefs in this world have survived temperature swings. Does it have to adapt, well yes it does and it does that quite well IMHO. Corals are tougher than we give them credit.

Look at all that temperature change and yet we still have corals and inverts.

 

[DeniseAndy]

Fasinating. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Big Mistake]

So are the colorful corals in my tank suffering from "colorful bleaching"?

Is a brown coral a happy coral?

Am I mistreating my pets to make them more beautiful? Are they suffering?

Enquiring minds want to know.

I have assumed the florescence is to attract prey and florescent corals try to attract prey while say a Xenia just grabs what floats by. Like flowers, but with a more evil intent. Zoas seem to have a target they are trying to get something come to.

As a "scientist" I was always jealous of other "scientists" that spent their summers in wonderful places as opposed to a top secret military facility under an mountain working on a "black op".

If I had known I was going to be a "scientist" I would have chosen a different field of "study".

Sort of like a Seinfeld episode with George pretending to be a "Marine Biologist".

Everyone wants to be a "Marine Biologist". A life of seashells and balloons if you can arrange the funding ...

Hey, if I have Marine Reef aquarium does that make me a "Marine Biologist"?

-Big Mistake

 

[FBAA]

So are the colorful corals in my tank suffering from "colorful bleaching"?

Is a brown coral a happy coral?

Am I mistreating my pets to make them more beautiful? Are they suffering?

Enquiring minds want to know.

I have assumed the florescence is to attract prey and florescent corals try to attract prey while say a Xenia just grabs what floats by. Like flowers, but with a more evil intent. Zoas seem to have a target they are trying to get something come to.

As a "scientist" I was always jealous of other "scientists" that spent their summers in wonderful places as opposed to a top secret military facility under an mountain working on a "black op".

If I had known I was going to be a "scientist" I would have chosen a different field of "study".

Sort of like a Seinfeld episode with George pretending to be a "Marine Biologist".

Everyone wants to be a "Marine Biologist". A life of seashells and balloons if you can arrange the funding ...

Hey, if I have Marine Reef aquarium does that make me a "Marine Biologist"?

-Big Mistake

Let's break this down a bit.

Are most natural corals brown - it depends on where they live but we do modify them with nutrients and lighting.

Brown corals can certainly be happy corals.

Fluorescence is not to attract prey it's either a way to reduce the influence of excess light or reallocate wavelengths to usable level via a stokes shift.

As aquarists we are all studying to be marine biologists. Will we get there is the question. It depends greatly on the effort of the person and the teachers.

 

[Big Mistake]

I like my theory that fluorescent corals are basically little organic UV copepod bug zappers.

-Big Mistake

 

[zukihara]

I am not a marine biologist but a big hint for me was when she said "since the 80s".