Although our current understanding of why coral bleaching occurs is incomplete,which of the following is consistent with the most commonly held hypothesis of this phenomenon as discussed in your text?
A)As the number of planktonic,photosynthetic organisms available decreases due to increased predation,fewer symbionts are available for the corals to associate with.
B)As the number of pollutants dumped into the world's oceans increases,more and more corals will use symbionts that are not photosynthetic.
C)As global temperatures continue to rise,corals will expel more of their colorful,photosynthetic symbionts.
D)As pollutants and global temperatures continue to rise,corals will have more difficulty manufacturing the photosynthetic pigments they need to produce their own food.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The most commonly held hypothesis for coral bleaching is that as global temperatures rise, corals expel their colorful, photosynthetic symbionts, leading to a loss of color and potentially death. Option A is not supported by research as decreased predation on planktonic organisms has not been shown to be a major cause of coral bleaching. Option B is also not supported by research as it is unlikely that corals would switch to non-photosynthetic symbionts. Option D is not supported by research as there is no evidence to suggest that pollutants or rising temperatures directly affect the production of photosynthetic pigments in corals.

Although Our Current Understanding of Why Coral Bleaching Occurs Is