Theory 13/The rival is a different mechanism/Coral reefs
Accumulated Heat or Peak?
The claim
Bleaching tracks accumulated heat exposure rather than peak temperature.
01The rival explanation
Bleaching is a threshold response to the hottest day, and accumulated heat merely correlates with having had a hot day.
02What would tell them apart
Events with equal peaks and different durations separate the two.
03Prediction
Longer events at equal peak should bleach more.
04Refutation
If duration adds nothing beyond peak, the rival wins.