As coral bleaching and deaths become more widespread globally, experts are re-evaluating the benefits of restoration missions to reverse damage and protect some of the world’s most species-rich ecosystems.
As coral bleaching and deaths become more widespread globally, experts are re-evaluating the benefits of restoration missions to reverse damage and protect some of the world’s most species-rich ecosystems.
When sea temperatures climb above average for sustained periods, corals can become bleached, meaning that they expel their symbiotic algae. If bleaching is severe, it can eventually kill the coral tissue.
The most common coral restoration method is known as coral gardening, where coral fragments grown in nurseries are transplanted to the reef.
A new study by Dr Giovanni Strona at the European Union Joint Research Centre, Clelia Mulà of the University of Western Australia, and Matthew Flinders Professor of Global Ecology Corey Bradshaw from Flinders University has examined the reasons behind the failure of these restoration efforts to deliver enhanced protections for coral reefs.
Read more at Flinders University
Photo Credit: xiSerge via Pixabay
