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Environment

Here's how coral reefs might survive hotter, more acidic oceans

Coral reefs around the world are at risk of collapse due to rising temperatures and acidifying oceans, but the natural adaptability of some species may help buy time

By James Dinneen

30 September 2024

Coral bleaching

Coral after an episode of bleaching

fadhlanbr/Shutterstock

Coral reefs may be more capable of adapting to hotter and more acidic oceans than we thought, raising hopes that efforts to slash our greenhouse gas emissions and restore reefs stand a chance of preserving these biodiverse ecosystems.

“These results provide us with a possible pathway forward, but it depends entirely on what we decide to do about climate change and what we decide to do about local stressors,” says Chris Jury at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa.

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