Heat‑Resistant ‘Super Corals’ Offer Hope for Reef Restoration

Scientists have found heat‑tolerant “super corals” in mangrove lagoons of the Great Barrier Reef that can survive extreme temperature swings and low oxygen levels.

• The University of Technology Sydney identified these corals living in mangrove‑filled lagoons, enduring daily temperature changes, low oxygen, and fluctuating salinity.
• Laboratory analysis shows they host heat‑tolerant Durusdinium algae and exhibit stable DNA methylation, triggering pathways for DNA repair, metabolism, and cellular homeostasis.
• When transplanted to a nearby reef only a kilometre away, the corals remained healthy for a full year, even under controlled heat‑stress experiments.
• The approach mirrors using drought‑resistant crops: it could help tourism‑driven sites like the Low Isles, though some mangrove‑origin corals have weaker skeletons and long‑term performance is uncertain.
• Researchers stress this is one tool, not a cure‑all; the study appears in Science Advances and emphasizes that reducing greenhouse‑gas emissions remains essential.

Why it matters: Super corals may buy time for reef ecosystems while broader climate action is still needed.

Read more: https://getnews.me/heat-resistant-super-corals-offer-hope-for-reef-restoration/