When the water around the coral gets too warm or becomes polluted, the coral becomes sick. It turns white and becomes weak. This is called coral bleaching.

An illustration showing how coral bleaching happens. On the left, the coral is bright red and healthy. On the right, the coral has turned white because of coral bleaching. The image shows that bleaching is caused by warmer ocean temperatures and pollution.

THINK-PAIR-SHARE

What do you think could happen to the animals living on the reef as the coral colony gets sick?