In a new study, marine biologists have provided an unprecedented look at coral reef “bleaching” responses to heat stress off the coast of Maui, Hawaii.
Using 3D imaging technology, the scuba-diving scientists from UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography have been surveying Maui’s corals annually since 2014, contributing to a unique, long-term dataset that reveals coral survival rates following bleaching events in 2015 and 2019.
While some corals bleached and died during those events, the corals that survived showed hopeful signs of resilience. Among these survivors, researchers found little evidence that bleaching impacted coral growth over time.
The team’s findings can inform approaches to coral reef conservation and restoration.
Check out the study here.
(Featured Image credit: Travis Matteson)
