Global warming is commonly associated with the melting polar ice caps and algal blooms in oceans with increasing greenhouse gas emissions and decreasing levels of oxygen. However, lack of oxygen levels also highly affected fish populations, as witnessed by residents from Biscayne Bay, Florida, when thousands of fish were found dead.
Experts also fear that coral bleaching may soon follow. Corals are known to be very sensitive to environmental conditions such as temperature, pollution, light, fishing, and human contact. Stressful conditions force corals to expel algae that live within them while becoming more vulnerable to disease and pollution.
Experts are anticipating that they bay temperatures will get warmer still. "If the temperatures continue to rise as they're forecast to, we're likely to see coral bleaching increase across South Florida," shared Mark Eakin from NOAA. Up to 10 percent of the coral might begin to bleach.
They have already put the keys under level one alert of bleaching, which may soon become level two if large amounts of coral die under the present conditions. Weaker coral species have already died due to pollution, global warming, and other human activities while the more resilient species remain. Other threats include tropical storms and hurricanes.
"It's possible we could see a mass bleaching event if these temperatures don't drop," shared Cory Walter, a biologist from Mote Marine Lab. "If it's really bad, it almost looks like it snows on the reef because everything turns white."
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