Stressed alga-free coral cells can initiate coral bleaching
Jinsong Wei, Yun Bai, Ruijie Wu, Jinru Xie, Jiali Zheng, Miaomiao Luo, Minshuai Zhu, Chenxi Li, Siqi Xie, KAIYUE HAN, Kaihui Xu, Minjie Hu
The paper shows that stressed coral cells can initiate bleaching by producing reactive oxygen species, which then trigger symbiosis breakdown in other cells.
bioRxiv · Oct 1, 2026 · PreprintCell Biology