Life Sciences Commons^™

Predation And Thermal Stress Affect Color Change In The Symbiotic Sea Anemone Aiptasia, Samantha L. Hamlin

WWU Graduate School Collection

Bleaching is the disruption of the symbiotic relationship between anthozoans and zooxanthellae. The term bleaching refers to the host appearing lighter--sometimes becoming completely white--as a result of losing their symbiotic dinoflagellates, their photosynthetic pigments, or both. Research has demonstrated that many abiotic factors, such as temperature, ultraviolet radiation, and salinity, cause bleaching. However, we know little about the role that biotic factors, such as predation, may play in coral bleaching. Additionally, little is known about the combined effects of different stressors, and whether these effects are additive or not. If effects are synergistic and difficult to predict, then much more …