Human activity and climate change, such as runoff and global warming, can cause corals to damage and break easily.
When corals appear to damage and break easily, a scientist may predict that human activity and climate change are responsible. Human coastal populations increase the runoff of sediment and agricultural chemicals, which can make tropical waters cloudy and negatively affect coral health.
Additionally, rising temperatures due to global warming can cause coral bleaching, where the symbiotic algae that provide food and color to the corals are expelled. These factors combined can lead to the decline of coral reefs and the animals that depend on them.