When was the first scientific description of coral bleaching published?

A clear scientific description of coral bleaching was published in 1911 by the marine biologist Charles H. Edmunds, who observed corals losing their color and appearing white. At the time, the biological stress behind the phenomenon was not fully understood. Today, bleaching is known to occur when corals expel their symbiotic algae, often because seawater becomes too warm. The issue became globally prominent in the late 20th century as marine heatwaves intensified. Coral bleaching is now one of the major signals of stress on reef ecosystems worldwide.