Coral Reef Symbiosis and Bleaching

Coral reef symbiosis and bleaching is the most economically impactful discovery on this list, revealing that corals rely on zooxanthellae algae for up to 90% of their energy needs. This relationship, understood since the 1970s, explains why a 1°C rise in ocean temperature can trigger mass bleaching events, affecting 25% of all marine species that depend on reefs.