Scientists at Newcastle University's Coralassist Lab have successfully bred coral to survive intense marine heatwaves for the first time, study lead Adriana Humanes told The National. Using an ‘assisted evolution’ technique called selective breeding, the program demonstrated it is possible to boost the heat tolerance of adult coral offspring in a single generation. The improvement was modest compared to prolonged heat waves and expected future marine heatwaves, scientists warned, cautioning that it is not a "silver-bullet solution" to protect reefs from climate change.

Tackling coral bleaching: Coral bleaching is caused by above-average sea surface temperatures which expel algae that feed the coral nutrients and give them their color. Climate-induced coral bleaching can lead to reefs’ death, while ocean acidification makes conditions unfavorable for growth. Earlier this year, the fourth and most extensive event of coral bleaching happened, on the back of 54% of corals experiencing a bleaching event last year.

Why this matters: Coral reefs are extremely important to their ecosystems as they harbor a quarter of ocean species throughout their lives, and protect fish and coasts from storms. Their value is estimated at USD 2.7 tn annually.

This is important for our region: Despite the resilience of corals in the Arabian Gulf, they are highly vulnerable to increasingly more intense marine heat waves, which can cause mass bleaching. The recent near-total bleaching event in the southern Arabian Gulf underscores the increasing frequency of such occurrences, giving corals less time to recover.

It’s still not a magical solution: Selective breeding could help improve coral survival amid rising marine temperatures, but a better understanding of coral reproductive biology and the potential trade-offs of such interventions are needed.

Tags: