Coral Recovery Following Prolonged Heatwaves
UVic marine biologist Julia Baum sampling Platygyra colonies on Kiritimati (Christmas Island), 2019. Image Credit: Kristina Tietjen.
Coral reefs could bounce back from bleaching caused by soaring temperatures new research suggests, but only in the right conditions.
Coral reefs have provided researchers with some hope that at least one element of nature could ‘bounce back’ from soaring temperatures and a global heatwave induced by climate change — but, only with a very specific plan of action in place.
Biologists from the University of Victoria (UVic) report that some corals have displayed unexpected resilience to rising ocean temperatures driven by unprecedented heatwaves. The discovery has positive implications for the long-term survival of coral reefs in the face of global warming.