I know it seems like every day there’s a new argument about global warming and the health of coral reefs. One day, we mention that rising sea temperatures are threatening East Africa’s coral. The next day, we write that corals in the Arabian Sea are highly resilient to so-called “sea-surface thermal anomalies” (think: big temperature swings). Golly, we’ve even mentioned that as temperatures rise, coral reefs cool themselves by creating cloud cover! And on and on…
Anyway, here’s something else to consider. Australian coral bleaching expert Dr Ray Berkelmans claims there are signs that some coral reefs in Queensland's Great Barrier Reef have adapted to rising sea temperatures over the past decade. Berkelmans claims the algae that live with some coral forms a protective barrier, increasing their thermal tolerance by as much as two degrees Celsius. According to Berkelmans, “In the ecology of coral two degrees is a tremendous ecological benefit to corals.” Think of the algae as a blanket that helps insulate against higher temperatures. (Yeah. Chew on that for a while.)
