The State of Coral Reef Ecosystems of the United States and Pacific Freely Associated States: 2002

Abstract

Global Climate Change and Coral Bleaching. The ultimate long-term environmental threat to coral reef ecosystems is global climate change that many believe is linked to the dramatic increase of coral bleaching in the past decade. Bleaching varies regionally, locally within a reef, and among species. It also coincides with elevated water temperatures associated with El Nifio and La Nifia events.