Living diatoms contain brownish plastids. if global warming causes blooms of diatoms in the surface waters of earth's oceans, how might this be harmful to the animals that build coral reefs? living diatoms contain brownish plastids. if global warming causes blooms of diatoms in the surface waters of earth's oceans, how might this be harmful to the animals that build coral reefs?

I believe the best answer is that the coral animals' endosymbiotic dinoflagellates may get "shaded" out by the diatoms. Coral reefs found under water held together by calcium carbonate structure which are secreted by corals. They are the most diverse of all marine ecosystems. During Global warming the rising temperatures can stress coral polpys, causing them to lose algae that live in the polpys' tissues. Making the coral to turn completely to white (coral bleaching) hence they become resistance to threats such as disease and may therefore die.