Coral Reefs and Climate Change

October 2013

Coral Reefs and Climate Change

Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131029133755.htm

     As a result of a study funded by the NOAA, coral reefs are improving their chances of surviving through the end of the century because they may be able to adapt to moderate climate warning if there are large reductions in carbon dioxide emissions. The study was conducted by the NOAA's scientists and its academic partners. A convincing result of the study shows that coral reefs have already adapted to part of the warming that has occurred. 

   As published in the Global Change Biology, the study explores a variety of possible coral adaptive responses to thermal stress previously identified by other scientists. It suggests that coral reefs may be more resilient than otherwise thought in studies that did not consider effects of possible adaptation. Through genetic adaptation, "the reefs could reduce their projected rate of temperature-induced bleaching by 20 to 80 percent of levels expected by the year 2100, if there are large reductions in carbon dioxide emissions".