Skip to main content
HHMI BioInteractive
  • Español
  • Site Search
  • Log In/Create Account
  • BioInteractive Resources
  • Planning Tools
  • Professional Development
  • About Us

Stressed-Out Corals

Photo of corals from the activity

Topic

  • Ecology
  • Ecosystems
  • Environmental Science
  • Climate Change

Resource Type

  • Activities
  • Phenomenal Images

Level

High School — GeneralHigh School — AP/IBCollege
Saved By
10 Users
Share This

Description

This activity explores images of a coral bleaching event, which serve as phenomena for learning about marine ecosystems, human impacts, and climate change.

Stressful environmental conditions may cause corals to force out their symbiotic algae in a process called coral bleaching. Though corals can survive short-term bleaching, their risk of disease and death increases. Human activities have led to an increase in coral bleaching worldwide. This impacts corals, coral reef ecosystems, and human communities that rely on coral reefs. 

The “Educator Materials” document includes background information and implementation suggestions for using the images as phenomena. The “Student Handout” includes the images and background information. Note there are two groups of images: the images used in the main activity (Figures a and c), which can be used to introduce coral bleaching concepts, and “extension” images (Figures b, d, and e), which can be used to explore deoxygenation as one cause of coral bleaching. 

The “Resource Google Folder” link directs to a Google Drive folder of resource documents in the Google Docs format. Not all downloadable documents for the resource may be available in this format. The Google Drive folder is set as “View Only”; to save a copy of a document in this folder to your Google Drive, open that document, then select File → “Make a copy.” These documents can be copied, modified, and distributed online following the Terms of Use listed in the “Details” section below, including crediting BioInteractive.
 

Student Learning Targets

  • Examine images of phenomena, make observations, and ask questions.
  • Collaborate with peers on ideas, ask questions that require higher levels of reasoning, and develop deeper understanding of concepts.
  • Describe the process and causes of coral bleaching and how it may be impacted by human activities.

Estimated Time

Within one 50-minute class period.

Key Terms

algae, coral reef, deoxygenation, heat stress, hypoxia, marine biology, microbial mat, oceanography, symbiosis

Primary Literature

Johnson, Maggie D., Jarrod J. Scott, Matthieu Leray, Noelle Lucey, Lucia M. Rodriguez Bravo, William L. Wied, and Andrew H. Altieri. “Rapid ecosystem-scale consequences of acute deoxygenation on a Caribbean coral reef.” Nature Communications 12, 4522 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-24777-3.

Terms of Use

The resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license. No rights are granted to use HHMI’s or BioInteractive’s names or logos independent from this Resource or in any derivative works.

Accessibility Level (WCAG compliance)

PDF files meet criteria.

Version History

Date Published 03.28.22

NGSS 2013

HS-LS2-6, HS-LS2-7; SEP1

AP Biology 2019

SYI-2.B; SP3

IB Biology 2016

4.1, 4.4, C.3

AP Environmental Science 2020

Topics(s): 1.3, 9.5, 9.6 Learning Objectives & Practices: ERT-1.C, STB-4.F, STB-4.G, SP2

IB Environmental Systems and Societies 2017

ELA.WHST.9-10.9; ELA.WHST.11-12.9

Common Core 2010

ELA.WHST.9-10.9; ELA.WHST.11-12.9

Vision and Change 2009

CC5; DP1

Materials

Resource Google Folder (link)
Images (JPG) 614 KB
Extension Images (JPG) 1 MB
Educator Materials (PDF) 434 KB
Student Handout (PDF) 551 KB

Related Science News

Hundreds of lakes in U.S., Europe are losing oxygen

Explore Related Content

Other Resources About Coral

Showing of
Image from the activity
Labs & Demos
Ocean Acidification
Photo of bleached coral
Interactive Videos
Interactive Exploration of Coral Bleaching
Image of coral from the film
Scientists at Work
Steve Palumbi & Megan Morikawa Study Coral Reef Damage in American Samoa
Photo of bleached coral.
Lessons
Coral Reefs and Global Warming
Image from the activity
Data Points
Resistance to Coral Bleaching
3D animation of a bleached coral
Animations
Coral Bleaching

Other Related Resources

Showing of
Photo of bleached coral
Interactive Videos
Interactive Exploration of Coral Bleaching
Photo of Liz Hadly from the film
Scientists at Work
Liz Hadly Tracks the Impact of Climate Change in Yellowstone
Image of the Keeling curve from the activity
Data Points
Trends in Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide
Image from the activity
Labs & Demos
Ocean Acidification
Map of the world with a footprint over it. CO2 is repeated in the footprint.
Lessons
What Is My Carbon Footprint?
Photo of a burned forest.
Short Films
The Science of Climate Change
Screen shot of Ed Yong from the video
Animated Shorts
Can a Fungus Save Plants from Global Warming?
Graph from the activity
Data Points
Salt Stress Impacts Photosynthesis in Algae
Image of coral from the film
Scientists at Work
Steve Palumbi & Megan Morikawa Study Coral Reef Damage in American Samoa
Photo of bleached coral.
Lessons
Coral Reefs and Global Warming
HHMI BioInteractive
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Newsletter Signup
  • HHMI.org
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility