Coral reefs in one part of the Pacific Ocean have likely adjusted to higher ocean temperatures which could reduce future bleaching impacts of climate change, new research reveals.
A Newcastle University-led study focused on the Pacific Island nation of Palau and has shown that historic increases in the thermal tolerance of coral reefs are possible. The results demonstrate how this capacity could reduce future bleaching impacts ifDrawing on decades of field observations, the scientists modeled many possible future coral bleaching trajectories for Palauan reefs, each with a different simulated rate of thermal tolerance enhancement.
"We quantified a natural increase in coral thermal tolerance over decadal time scales which can be directly compared to the rate of ocean warming. While our work offers a glimmer of hope, it also emphasizes the need for continued action on reducing carbon emissions to mitigate climate change and secure a future for these vital ecosystems."
This study was the result of a collaborative visit the lead author undertook in 2021 to work with Professor Simon Donner's Climate and Coastal Ecosystems Laboratory at the University of British Columbia, Canada. over the next two to three decades, the reefs in the Pacific won't provide the resources and protection from waves that Pacific peoples have depended upon for centuries."Coral reefs harbor remarkable levels of biodiversity, yet also face unprecedented declines due to marine heat waves and resulting mass coral bleaching and mortality events. To persist under climate change, coral communities need to endure progressively more intense and frequent marine heat waves.
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