Hello Alan!
I am from Zanzibar, Tanzania, and I also
love snorkeling! I too have noticed that
most of our coral is white when I swim.
My mom told me that when she was younger
all of the coral was colorful and none
was white.
She said it was so beautiful.
I wish I could see the reef that
my mom did.
My mom also told me that bleaching
happens when the coral is stressed out.
Warm water makes them stressed.
They turn white because they push
out algae that live inside of them.
When they throw up these algae,
the coral is clear and you can see the
rock beneath them.
Getting rid of these algae is bad
for the coral because the algae help the
coral get food and oxygen.
If the stress lasts a long time,
the coral could die. I wish I could help
the coral.
Courageous Coral-Lover,
Akila
