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| Keywords: john burns hawaii institute marine biology pmnm papahānaumokuākea algae algal bloom ecosystem health recreation coral bleaching warming climate change himb noaa outdoor What happens to a coral reef after a mass bleaching event? Often, algae overgrows the dead corals, dramatically impacting the reef ecosystem, like on this bleached reef near Lisianski Island in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. While this can benefit some herbivorous fish in the short term, over the long term the reef ecosystem loses its integrity. By minimizing stressors like pollution and runoff, overfishing, and the impacts of tourism and recreation, we can increase the odds that corals will recover after a bleaching event. Photo Credit: John Burns/Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology - HIMB/NOAA What happens to a coral reef after a mass bleaching event? Often, algae overgrows the dead corals, dramatically impacting the reef ecosystem, like on this bleached reef near Lisianski Island in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. While this can benefit some herbivorous fish in the short term, over the long term the reef ecosystem loses its integrity. By minimizing stressors like pollution and runoff, overfishing, and the impacts of tourism and recreation, we can increase the odds that corals will recover after a bleaching event. Photo Credit: John Burns/Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology - HIMB/NOAA | ||||
