Can Resilient ‘Super Corals’ Save Bleached And Boiled Coral Reefs?
<p>Coral reefs are critically important habitats for countless animals as well as for people. Globally, one out of every four marine fishes spends at least some part of its life on a coral reef. Billions of people worldwide depend upon coral reefs for food, storm protection and for jobs. The imperilled coral reefs in the Florida Keys that you hear about daily in the news, for example, account for an infusion of some $2.4 million annually into the local economy and provide approximately half of the local jobs.</p>
<p>This year, many of the world’s coral reefs are either dying or are already dead because of the influx of seawater that has been superheated by climate change. This overheated water triggers corals to become “bleached.” Coral bleaching results when corals expel their colorful endosymbiotic algae, leaving the still living, but white, coral skeleton behind (more <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/grrlscientist/2016/03/21/what-is-coral-bleaching-and-why-is-it-on-the-rise/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>). If the water cools quickly enough, the corals can survive. If not, they starve. But tragically, the seawater along the coast of Florida is now so hot that corals are quickly killed — without starving.</p>
<p><a href="https://medium.com/gardening-birding-and-outdoor-adventure/can-resilient-super-corals-save-bleached-and-boiled-coral-reefs-9556bb16fb1f"><strong>Learn More</strong></a></p>