Some reef corals may be getting used to consecutive heatwaves
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2019-03-06 11:01
Long-lived corals on the Great Barrier Reef and in the Coral Sea may be acclimatising to high summer temperature regimes after exposure to repeated heatwaves, according to Australian-led research. The scientists looked at 'stress bands' in long-lived corals, which are produced in response to extreme heat. They found fewer corals had stress bands following successive bleaching events, despite heat stress increasing during the same period. Temperature-induced bleaching events have increased over the past 200 years, particularly after the 1982 El Nino event, they say, but the new findings offer a glimmer of hope that at least some coral species may persist in a warmer world.
Journal/conference: Proceedings of the Royal Society B
Link to research (DOI): 10.1098/rspb.2019.0235
Organisation/s: The University of Western Australia, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, Curtin University
Media Release
From: The Royal Society
Acclimatization of massive reef-building corals to consecutive heatwaves
The occurrence of temperature-induced bleaching events has increased over the past 200 years, particularly after the 1982 El Nino event. However, long-lived corals on the Great Barrier Reef and in the Coral Sea acclimatized to high summertime temperature regimes after exposure to repeated heatwaves. This provides a glimmer of hope that at least some coral species may persist in a warmer world.
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