Over the past few decades, algae have been slowly edging corals out of their native reefs worldwide by blocking sunlight, wearing them down physically, and producing harmful chemicals. Recently a new type of algal threat has surfaced in tropical regions like the Caribbean–one that spreads quickly and forms a crust on top of coral and sponges, suffocating the organisms underneath and preventing them from regrowing, and transforming entire ecosystems. It’s feared that these crusts may serve as an ecological catalyst that could hasten the global demise of corals on reefs under accelerating climate change.
csunshinetoday.csun.edu/media-releases/csun-prof-finds-aggressive-alga-threatening-health-of-caribbean-coral-reefs/