By TAKU HOSOKAWA/ Staff Writer
September 12, 2023 at 17:57 JST
Coral is seen bleached due to rising sea temperatures in Nishi-Izu, Shizuoka Prefecture, on Sept. 5. (Provided by Kirin Sekito)
NISHI-IZU, Shizuoka Prefecture--This summer’s extreme heat has devastated the marine environment here, with an increasing amount of coral bleaching seen in the waters off the coast.
Pictures from nature photographer Kirin Sekito show bleached coral in the bay of the Tago district on the seabed 3 to 5 meters deep.
“I want more people to know what’s going on with our planet,” Sekito said.
When stressed by factors such as increased ocean temperatures, coral expel the symbiotic algae living in their tissues, turning them bone white.
The bleaching leaves coral vulnerable and they will eventually die if they remain that way.
Intense heat in August raised seawater temperatures in the area and accelerated coral bleaching, according to Sayuri Yoshida, who works at a local dive shop.
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