A newly published piece of research offers some hope for corals, with scientists finding that corals can be trained to be able to better deal with the effects of heat stress.
This finding could enable scientists to help corals survive the predicated 1.2°C global warming.
Scientists from the University of Miami showed that corals could be trained to resist heat stress in laboratory conditions. Corals placed in water tanks that fluctuated in temperature twice daily between 28°C (82.4°F) and 31°C (87.8°F) were slower to be affected by coral bleaching than coral that was placed in 28°C for three months.
While it may be challenging to implement the same training in the wild, this adaptive property offers some chance to our ocean corals.
Commenting on the new finding, the study’s lead author Allyson DeMerlis stated:
“This ‘training’ regime is akin to an athlete preparing for a race. Our findings bring a glimmer of hope to the uncertain future of corals, as we identified a treatment in which we can enhance their tolerance to heat stress.”
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