24/04/2026
🪸🐠 The Colours of Climate Change 🤒🐙
The striking whites, yellows, greens and purples which can be seen on the reefs during times of extreme heat stress are often mistaken for unique and beautiful colouration. However, it is a sign of the coral bleaching process borne of our heating oceans - and shows that sadly the coral is effectively 'starving'.
Anemones and corals contain an algae called zooxanthellae which lives within the tissues of the corals and by photosynthesis provides 90% of the corals food. When the water is too hot for the corals - like we have seen in Fiji in some areas this summer - the zooxanthellae algae malfunctions. Instead of feeding the coral the algae generates toxicity and the coral polyps respond by expelling their food generating algae.
The white calcium structures go through a process of bright yellows, greens, pinks and pale purples as they struggle to survive. Without a cooling of the water temperatures the corals and anemones will die off.
Sometimes it helps to know what you are looking at and how important it is to reduce carbon emissions as much as we possibly can by using solar power and not buying plastics.
![🐣 Easter under pressure [PSI] 🫧 Wishing you and your family a happy Easter from the reefs of Fiji www.waterlustfiji.com](https://img3.travelagents10.com/410/093/954631454100938.jpg)
