

reflected light as a function of wavelength. Field spectroscopy helps to characterize the health of corals in terms of reflectance spectra or spectral signatures, i.e. Bleaching is a physiological, cellular response to environmental stresses wherein marine invertebrates including corals expel their endosymbiont, unicellular microalgae or zooxanthellae from their host tissues. Scleractinian corals represent the foundation species of reef ecosystems.
