What is Alex's dad fighting to protect from climate change?

• A. Coral reefs
• B. Polar bears
• C. Mangroves
• D. Seagrass beds

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is how warming oceans and related climate impacts threaten a delicate ocean habitat that people often act to protect. Coral reefs are directly harmed by higher sea temperatures and by ocean acidification from more CO2 in the atmosphere. When waters get too warm, corals expel their symbiotic algae, causing bleaching; without these algae, corals lose energy and can die, leading to weaker reefs that support far less marine life. Acidification makes it harder for corals to build their calcium carbonate skeletons, slowing reef growth and recovery. This combination of stressors makes coral reefs especially vulnerable and central to many climate-protection efforts, so they’re the focus when people push to defend these ecosystems from climate change.

While other ecosystems like polar bears (relying on sea ice), mangroves, and seagrass beds are also affected by climate change, the description fits coral reefs most closely because of the pronounced, well-known link between warming oceans and reef decline, plus the strong conservation emphasis placed on protecting them.