Bleached <em>Acropora</em> Colony (IMAGE) Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Caption Bleached Acropora colony was photographed in July 2015. A new study finds that a 2°C rise in the sea surface temperature of the South China Sea in June 2015 was amplified to produce a 6°C rise on the Dongsha Atoll, killing approximately 40 percent of the resident coral community. Credit Photo by Thomas DeCarlo, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Usage Restrictions With proper credit after embargo lifts License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.