Some western Pacific corals seem to be weathering global warming. Despite a warming ocean, reefs off Micronesia, Polynesia, and Melanesia suffered relatively little bleaching in the past 25 years, new research suggests.
Bleaching occurs when symbiotic algae living inside corals die, robbing the reefs of nutrients, color, and life. Seawater temperatures just a degree above normal can spur bleaching.
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