Selective deep-water coral bleaching occurs through depth isolation

Gal Eyal, Jack H. Laverick, Or Ben-Zvi, Kristen T. Brown, Netanel Kramer, Raz Tamir, Yoav Lindemann, Oren Levy, John M. Pandolfi, 2022

Mesophotic communities are not immune from coral bleaching, are in danger, and are degrading in the Red Sea.
Heat accumulation at mesophotic depths is almost twofold higher than on adjacent shallow reefs.
Bleaching events affect the deep-specialist coral populations, with ~50% coral community mortality at 60 m depth.
The deeper benthic community lost framework builders may result in lower complexity, fewer niches, and loss of biodiversity.
Experimental evidence suggests that deep-specialist corals are less tolerant of heat stress and bleach more readily.