PREVIEW

Scientists are making a Herculean effort to combat the detrimental effects of rising ocean temperatures on Florida's coral reefs. Scientists from the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science have ventured to Tela Bay in Honduras to source resilient coral species that could potentially safeguard Florida's reefs against climate change. Unlike many other reefs that suffer from coral bleaching due to high temperatures, the corals in Tela Bay flourish despite routinely experiencing heat levels that would devastate other ecosystems. These reefs, often exposed to freshwater from a nearby lagoon and characterised by murky, low-visibility waters, demonstrate remarkable resilience to both heat stress and disease. Particularly abundant are the elkhorn corals, thriving in the bay's shallow regions. The team collected hundreds of DNA samples from ten coral species and 13 live fragments of elkhorn coral, as well as 21 small brain coral colonies. These samples were flown to Miami and will now be used in a world-first attempt to breed corals from different countries to enhance their heat tolerance. The scientists plan to study these corals to understand why they are so resilient and try to breed them with Florida’s surviving elkhorn corals to produce new baby corals that might be able to survive Florida’s warmer future.