Stanford method reverses coral bleaching at record speed
Summary and headline written by AI from the source article. How we work
Researchers at Stanford University in the United States reversed coral bleaching in a laboratory setting at an unprecedented rate using a new method involving contact with healthy coral clones.
The team observed that bleached corals, nearing death, regained full health within seven weeks after briefly touching healthy corals from the same colony. This recovery happened because the healthy corals transferred beneficial algae and nutrients to their bleached counterparts, initiating a recovery process within three days.
Corals expel algae when ocean temperatures rise, causing them to turn pale and become vulnerable. Danny Collins, the lead study author, noted that bleached corals aren’t necessarily dead, and his team tested if healthy corals could deliver necessary resources through physical contact. The experiment showed that corals recognize their genetic matches and fuse tissues, creating pathways for algae and nutrients.
The researchers found that after initial contact, the algae replicated rapidly within the bleached coral, driving continued recovery even after the corals were separated. They are now investigating ways to deliver these beneficial algae without requiring continuous contact, hoping to apply this method to restore damaged reefs and combat the effects of climate change on these vital ecosystems which protect coastlines from storms and flooding.
