__ __ _ _____ _ _ _
| \/ | ___| |_ __ _| ___(_) | |_ ___ _ __
| |\/| |/ _ \ __/ _` | |_ | | | __/ _ \ '__|
| | | | __/ || (_| | _| | | | || __/ |
|_| |_|\___|\__\__,_|_| |_|_|\__\___|_|
community weblog
As most coral reefs are wiped out from bleaching, this one brings hope
As most coral reefs are wiped out from bleaching, this one brings hope. In the midst of a mass coral bleaching event along the West Australian coast, a group of scientists have discovered a section of reef that has been able to withstand the heat.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries on Jun 04, 2026 at 12:53 PM
---------------------------
Ah, what beautiful news!
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 5:47 PM
---------------------------
Give it a few years
posted by pullayup at 8:25 PM
---------------------------
Hope they can learn in time what genes make them more resilient to heat stress.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 9:05 PM
---------------------------
pullayup: "Give it a few years"
Yes, let's! Science takes time, and maybe in a year or so they'll know why this is and how we can help other coral reefs.
posted by tiny frying pan at 5:42 AM
---------------------------
this is fantastic news! coral reefs are so beautiful and rich, not to mention how important they are in their ecosystems. hopefully they will indeed (with time) be able to extend this to other reefs that are suffering.
posted by supermedusa at 8:16 AM
---------------------------
*puts on marine biologist hat* Yeah, they say why in practically the first paragraph. Location, location, location. Hotter places with less circulation of cooler water are going to have more bleaching events than higher latitude locations or locations with upwelling. This is not really a mystery. And the coral communities there do not necessarily have genetic or other characteristics that insulate them (pun intended) from heat wave related bleaching. They might, which would be nice.
Another major existential threat to coral reef communities is sea level rise. In a lot of places it may occur faster than the corals themselves can grow, and they suddenly (on a geological scale) find themselves in low light environments they're not adapted to. That threatens these 'cooler' communities more because the cooler water can expand more as it heats up. It's a very exciting time to study extinction.
posted by duckandpenguin at 9:19 AM
---------------------------
I assumed that they would also study the individual corals there to see their genetics and see if they are hardier in some way, is why I said that (your comment comes off as "obviously"). But I'm not a marine biologist, just an ocean enthusiast.
posted by tiny frying pan at 11:01 AM
---------------------------
(Also, like, people are busy! I skimmed a bit of this article, meaning to return to it later. I have family visiting. Countering some negativity early in the thread didn't mean I did a deep dive on the link. Thanks for posting, chariot pulled by cassowaries, I always enjoy your links!)
posted by tiny frying pan at 11:06 AM
---------------------------