Nature in the face of climate…coral reefs are defying the prospect of extinction

By Amira Shehata

Saturday, August 26, 2023 at 05:00 PM

Sometimes called the “rainforest of the ocean,” coral reefs account for somewhere close to 25% of the ocean’s biodiversity, according to the British Daily Mail.

Colonies of tiny corals grow, expand large calcareous skeletons, and are home to other marine life, but this complex chain of life evaporates as ocean temperatures rise.

A new study suggests there is hope for many coral reefs once thought to be extinct.

“High-frequency bleaching can be completely reduced in some corals under low-to-moderate emission conditions,” the researchers say.

Coral reefs’ thermal tolerance has increased by 0.18 F per decade since the late 1990s, showing that their pale-white limestone skeletons can return to bright, vibrant life.

The study comes a year after ecologists warned that the world’s coral reefs could disappear by 2050 if climate action is not taken, but those around the island tell a different story.

Coral reefs have long been considered one of the oldest and most important environmental losses from global warming, which has caused frequent ocean heat waves around the world and led to mass bleaching events across the tropics.

Bleaching occurs when ocean temperatures are too high.

The Palau Coral Reef, otherwise known as Rock Island, is the most extensive underwater ecosystem in the Indo-Pacific region with more than 164 coral species.

The increased tolerance suggests that natural mechanisms such as genetic adaptation or acclimation of corals or their symbiotic microalgae may have contributed to enhanced coral thermal tolerance.