“Colors are the smiles of nature,” From Leigh Hunt
“Colors are the smiles of nature,” said Leigh Hunt, a British poet, which implies that when color dies, human lives follow. Colorful coral reefs across the world's oceans are gradually turning white. As coral bleaching caused by rising sea temperatures spreads, the catastrophic risks to the entire marine ecosystem are once again coming into sharp focus.
“The ongoing coral bleaching phenomenon” Source: Australia Marine Conservation Society
Global Warming, Climate Change, and Rising Sea Temperature
Due to global warming and increased greenhouse gases, over 90% of the heat accumulated in the atmosphere is absorbed by the oceans, causing a continuous rise in average sea temperatures. Ever since recordkeeping for ocean temperature began in 1955, especially for the last 3 decades, the sea surface temperature jump has surged more than four times per decade, from 0.06°C to 0.27°C. This stresses the coral, causing it to expel its symbiotic algae, resulting in bleaching. With the recent intensification ofclimate change and deterioration of marine environments, reports of coral bleaching events are occurring in succession. According to the NYT, more than 70 percent of the Atlantic Ocean’s reefs will begin dying by 2040 even under optimistic climate warming scenarios, which fuels people’s fears over the future.
Fading Colors, Fading Ecosystem
The changes in the sea temperature impact the entire marine ecosystem. Coral bleaching is not merely an environmental change. If coral reefs lose their colors, it means they die, and the numerous marine organisms that rely on them as habitats will also decline, potentially disrupting the balance of the marine ecosystem. This is feared to have direct and indirect impacts on human society, such as reduced fishery resources and increased coastal erosion. The U.S. National Ocean Service stated, "Over 25% of marine life depends on coral reefs, " emphasizing that coral reefs play a pivotal role in the marine ecosystem, far beyond a simple function. A number of experts emphasize the role of coral reefs, warning that the population of marine species declines due to coral bleaching could undermine the foundation of marine ecosystems, affecting not only the oceans but also our own lives. For example, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia has been listed as a heritage site for over 40 years. However, the coral reefs are experiencing a decline of up to 70%, and UNESCO is warning of the danger of this.
Call to Action
Coral bleaching is more than just a change in the color of the seabed; it is an ecological crisis directly linked to human life. Everyone remembers Nemo, the little clown fish from Finding Nemo. If coral bleaching continues and the marine environment keeps deteriorating, the home of Nemo, the colorful corals in the movie, will disappear as well. Experts emphasize that solving this problem requires strong actions at the societal and national levels, going beyond individual responsibility. They called for governments to significantly expand Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to protect corals from pollution and overfishing and implement concrete roadmaps to achieve the ‘30x30’ goal (designating 30% of the ocean as protected areas by 2030). Also, governments are to invest in marine restoration technologies like transplanting 'super corals' that survive high temperatures, and enforce strict regulations to block pesticides and wastewater flowing from inland areas. These regulations and protections are crucial not only for safeguarding ecosystems but also for securing the future of humanity.
Work cited
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Kalina Velev. “Ocean Warming – Earth Indicator.” NASA Science, 26 Sept. 2025, science.nasa.gov/earth/explore/earth-indicators/ocean-warming/. Accessed 4 Jan. 2026.
US. “NOAA National Ocean Service Education: Corals Tutorial.” Noaa.gov, 2026,oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/tutorial_corals/coral07_importance.html. Accessed 4 Jan. 2026.
Mulkey, Sachi Kitajima. “Corals Won’t Survive a Warmer Planet, a New Study Finds.” The New York Times, 17 Sept.2025,www.nytimes.com/2025/09/17/climate/corals-climate-change.html?searchResultPosition=2.“BrainyQuote.” BrainyQuote, 2026, www.brainyquote.com/authors/leigh-hunt-quotes. Accessed 4 Jan. 2026.
“Ocean Temperature Rise Accelerating as Greenhouse Gas Levels Keep Rising | Natural History Museum.”Nhm.ac.uk, 2025,www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2025/january/ocean-temperature-rise-accelerating-greenhouse-gas-levels-rising.html. Accessed 4 Jan. 2026.
the.“What Is Coral Bleaching and How Does It Affect the Great Barrier Reef?” Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI), Queensland, 2024, www.detsi.qld.gov.au/our-department/news-media/down-to-earth/how-coral-bleaching-affects-the-gr eat-barrier-reef. Accessed 4 Jan. 2026.
McArthur, Tom. “Great Barrier Reef Suffers Worst Coral Decline on Record.” Bbc.com, BBC News, 5 Aug. 2025, www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg3pp52m65o. Accessed 4 Jan. 2026.
“Annual Summary Report of Coral Reef Condition 2024/25.” AIMS, 8 June 2025, www.aims.gov.au/monitoring-great-barrier-reef/gbr-condition-summary-2024-25. Accessed 4 Jan.2026.
“Counting Coral | Coral Reef Restoration.” My Site, 2022, www.countingcoral.com/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20383746930&gbraid=0AAAAABxUrj-Vh0w-viuw3QasAoeGwM6Wj&gclid=CjwKCAiAvaLLBhBFEiwAYCNTf8j5z1CZRPLA2qEJmz88XOcoisWA8CBsxgS4EtXe-YZko040tkT77RoC_boQAvD_BwE. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
“Conservation News on Marine Protected Areas.” Conservation News, 2025,news.mongabay.com/list/marine-protected-areas/. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
“Why We’re Committing to 30x30: Protect 30% of Land & Water by 2030.” The Nature Conservancy, 2023, www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-priorities/protect-water-and-land/land-and-water-stories/committing -to-30x30/#:~:text=The%20framework%20includes%2023%20targets,climate%20change%20facing%20our%20planet. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.
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