Marine ecology: Bleaching patterns in reef corals

Coral reefs are under threat from the effects of bleaching, in which symbiotic algae or their photosynthetic pigments are destroyed by increased sea temperatures and solar radiation. Here we show that the bleaching susceptibility of Goniastrea aspera, a shallow-water Indo-Pacific coral, can be predicted from its history of exposure to solar radiation, demonstrating how experience can shape coral bleaching patterns.