Current thinking on how the Toxoplasma gondii parasite invades its host is incorrect, according to a study published today in Nature Methods describing a new technique to knock out genes. The findings could have implications ...
Definition. Coral bleaching is a process whereby the coral colonies lose their colour, either due to the loss of pigments by microscopic algae (zooxanthellae) living in symbiosis with their host organisms (polyps), or because these zooxanthellae have been expelled.
Australia's Great Barrier Reefâthe world's largest coral reefâis a unique marine ecosystem threatened by global warming. Damage to the reef could harm the region's biodiversity, tourism, and fisheries. The reef has suffered eight mass coral bleaching events since 1979, triggered by unusually high water temperatures. 1  If there is enough time between bleaching events, the coral can often recover.