Nitric oxide mediates coral bleaching through an apoptotic‐like cell death pathway: evidence from a model sea anemone‐dinoflagellate symbiosis

Coral bleaching (involving the loss of symbiotic algae from the cnidarian host) is a major threat to coral reefs and appears to be mediated at the cellular level by nitric oxide (NO). In this study, we examined the specific role of NO in bleaching using the sea anemone Aiptasia pulchella, a model system for the study of corals. Exposure of A. pulchella to high‐temperature shock (26–33°C over