Bleached Reef #1/10

When corals are  stressed by changes in conditions such as temperature, light, or nutrients, they expel the symbiotic algae living in their tissues, causing them to turn completely white.  Bleached corals may continue to live for some time and even recover, but, the expelled algae is what provides up to 90% of the coral’s food/energy so without it they are stressed and eventually die.

You may already know this, but, coral bleaching events are on the rise.  In fact, in 2016, bleaching of coral on the Great Barrier Reef killed between 29 and 50 percent of the reef’s coral.   

Between 1980 and 2016 The average time between bleaching events HALVED.  It seems like a trend and it seems like it is most likely related to manmade changes (global warming).  

I’m creating this limited series of 10 marbles to raise awareness and raise a little money.  Half of the proceeds from selling this particular marble will be donated toward reforestation through the Eden Reforestation Projects: https://edenprojects.org

This is a project I’ve dream of for a long time.  Thanks for helping me make it a reality!

marble is:

1  7/8 inch diameter

signed  “Slater, Bleach, 1/10”

comes with a clear acrylic stand

This marble has a huge diversity of life in it.  Some areas of the reef are bleached and some are not.  In one view a stark white grove of bleached acropora stand in the foreground while behind two jellyfish swim and blastomussa go on growing in a slightly cooler microclimate.