The term 'coral bleaching' refers to ____.

A) the loss of a protist symbiont by a reef-building coral
B) the growth of new cnidarians within a reef
C) the color change in coral reefs as they become mature
D) an invasion of a coral reef by a colorless protist as opposed to a green, photosynthetic one
E) the loss of the calcium carbonate skeleton of cnidarian polyps

Coral Bleaching

A coral expels its photosynthetic dinoflagellate symbionts in response to stress and becomes colorless.

Symbiont

An organism that lives in a close, often long-term interaction with another organism of a different species, where at least one benefits (mutualism, commensalism, or parasitism).

Reef-Building Coral

Corals that produce calcium carbonate skeletons, contributing to the structure and growth of coral reefs which serve as habitats for a diverse marine ecosystem.