Glynn,-P.W.  Coral reef bleaching in the 1980s and possible 
	connections with global warming.  TRENDS-ECOL.-EVOL. 
	1991. vol. 6, no. 6, pp. 175-179.

Scleractinian corals and their symbiotic dinoflagellate algae 
build massive, wave-resistant coral reefs that are pre-
eminent in shallow tropical seas. This mutualism is 
especially sensitive to numerous environmental stresses, and 
has been disrupted frequently during the past decade. 
Increased seawater temperatures have been proposed as the 
most likely cause of coral reef bleaching, and it has been 
suggested that the recent large-scale disturbances are the 
first biological indication of global warming. This article 
describes recent bleaching events and their possible link 
with sea warming and other environmental stresses, and offers 
some speculation on the fate of coral reefs if the Earth 
enters a sustained period of warming.