Fish swimming over bleached fire coral and colorful Acropora corals

Life Fading: Bleached Corals Underwater.

In this underwater video clip, schools of small, vibrant fish swim around a coral reef dominated by both bleached and colorful corals. White fire coral branches, showing clear signs of bleaching, contrast starkly against healthy patches of golden and purple Acropora corals. The bright orange anthias fish weave effortlessly among the coral branches, adding movement and rich color to the shot. Surrounding the corals, other fish in varying shades of blue, yellow, and black move fluidly. This footage captures the complex mix of life and stress within the reef environment.

Colorful Fish Exploring Bleaching Coral Reefs on 4K Video.

Captured in ultra-high-definition 4K by professional videographers and available in HD (1080p) resolution, this clip is available in both landscape (16:9 aspect ratio) and vertical (9:16 aspect ratio) formats, this footage is suitable for various uses, including social media platforms like Instagram Reels, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts. Its clarity and adaptability make it an excellent choice for environmental campaigns, NGO projects, documentaries, and educational content focused on coral resilience and climate change impacts.

Light stress, particularly from UV radiation, significantly affects coral health, especially during times of elevated water temperatures. Corals rely on a delicate balance of sunlight to support their symbiotic algae, zooxanthellae, which provide nutrients through photosynthesis and give corals their colors. However, under increased UV radiation—often intensified by clear, shallow water or during times of low tide—corals experience oxidative stress, where excessive sunlight leads to the buildup of damaging free radicals within coral tissues. Fire corals and Acropora corals, both depicted in this footage, are particularly susceptible to light-induced bleaching.