Heat Hampers Coral Cilia Oxygen Dance

New study shows coral polyps use cilia to whip water into vortices that bring oxygen to their tissues when photosynthesis from symbiotic algae isn’t active; as water warms, cilia move faster to compensate, but at higher temperatures they consume oxygen faster than it’s available and eventually slow or stop, linking heat to reduced oxygen delivery and contributing to bleaching and mortality in reefs.