Questions 12-15 refer to the following passage.

The author attributes the pollution cited as being detrimental to coral to

a. Overpopulation by large sea mammals, such as dolphins activities of humans

b. Purely accidental causes which cannot be influenced

c. Overpopulation by photosynthetic archaebacteria

d. Natural phenomena, such as changes in weather

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Scientists are growing increasingly concerned that coral, which grows abundantly in the circumtropical shallow waters near bodies of Line land, is evincing a paling, or bleaching effect. (5) Though experts are still at odds over what has precipitated this event, most agree that it is a stress response to changes in habitat and water quality, including temperature variations and sali- nation percentage, and predict a loss of (10) 95 percent of existing coral populations.